

Glass. 
Book. 



0-9 



' > 



V \ 



ERECTING WORK 



THE POWER HANDBOOKS 

The best library for the engineer and the man who hopes 
to be one. 

This book is one of them. They are all good — and 
they cost 

$ 1.00 postpaid per volume. (English price 4/6 postpaid.) 



SOLD SEPARATELY OR IN SETS 



By PROF. AUGUSTUS H. GILL 

OF THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 

ENGINE ROOM CHEMISTRY 

By HUBERT E. COLLINS 

BOILERS KNOCKS AND KINKS 

SHAFT GOVERNORS PUMPS 

ERECTING WORK SHAFTING, PULLEYS AND 

PIPES AND PIPING BELTING 

STEAM TURBINES 

By F. E. MATTHEWS 
REFRIGERATION. (In Preparation.) 



McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY 

Publishers, Booksellers and Importers 
239 WEST 39th STREET, NEW YORK 

6 BOUVERIE STREET, LONDON, E.C. 



THE POWER HANDBOOKS 



ERECTING WORK 



COMPILED AND WRITTEN 
BY 

HUBERT E^COLLINS 



NEW YORK 

McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY 

239 WEST 39th STREET 

1908 



Copyright, 1908, by the Hill Publishing Company 

7 s 2. 

All rights reserved 






± S*rl**l 






X 



CONTENTS 

CHAP. PAGE 

I Foundations i 

II Knots and Hitches 18 

III Hauling Heavy Machinery Through City Streets 26 

IV Runways on an Incline 36 

V Work for a Gin Pole 44 

VI Rigging for the Receiver 52 

VII Moving a Cylinder 64 

VIII Unloading a Heavy Shaft 75 

IX Rigging for a Heavy Lift 89 

X Building up a Fly- Wheel 101 

XI The Erection of High-Speed Center-Crank 

Engines in 

XII Some of the Lighter Work in Erecting . . . . 130 



INTRODUCTION 

This handbook is designed for the use of the erecting 
engineer and to enable those in charge of plants to 
erect their own machinery. 

It describes the processes and gives valuable hints 
in the matter of laying foundations as well as the set- 
ting up of machinery and the handling of very heavy 
parts. 

In general, instructions are given which can be 
applied to almost any shape of machinery or erecting 
work, large or small. 

The bulk of this material has appeared serially in 
the columns of Power and the compiler acknowledges 
his indebtedness herewith to various contributors for 
portions of articles which have appeared therein. He 
is especially indebted to Messrs. H. V. Hunt and 
C. G. Robbins. 

Hubert E. Collins. 

August, 1908. 
New York City. 



FOUNDATIONS 

An engine, to be properly set, must be set rigidly. 
It is necessary to have the foundation of ample size, 
rightly proportioned, of good material, and skilfully 
built. The nature of the ground must be carefully 
considered and provision made, in preparing it for the 
foundation, to reduce the liability of settling to a 
minimum. 

Concrete foundations for engines have come into 
general use throughout the country, owing to their 
cheapness and durability, and some points on the 
building of these will be of service. Material for the 
foundations should be the best of its kind. The stone 
(if stone is used) should be broken clean and dry. 
The sand should be coarse and gritty. 

Wet a small quantity of cement, and mold it in the 
hands; then put the sample away and see how long it 
takes it to set. After it has set, see how much pound- 
ing will be required to break it up. By these simple 
means, bearing in mind that good cement should set 
in twenty-four hours, or less, the quality of the cement 
can be readily determined. 

The length of time it takes a foundation to set before 
weight may be safely placed on it can be ascertained, 



2 ERECTING WORK 

a day or two after placing the foundation, by drilling 
into the side for a distance of 12 in. or so. Beyond 
12 in. the concrete will not be dry for several weeks, 
but it should be stiff enough to make some show of 
resistance after the first few days. Unless it does so, 
weight should not be placed upon it. 

In "made" ground it is often advisable to drive 
piles, and if they are kept submerged in water, or if the 
ground is continually wet, the piles will not decay. 
The use of wood should be avoided as much as possible, 
however, because of its elasticity and its propensity 
to decay. 

If a concrete foundation is to be built in the ground, 
with the top extending a few inches above the finished 
floor line, molds will not be needed for the body, but 
only the top is molded. A simple excavation of suf- 
ficient size and depth is all that is necessary, and after 
the templet and foundation bolts have been located 
the excavation is filled in. The size of the excavation 
depends on the dimensions and shape of the founda- 
tion plans furnished by the manufacturer. It should 
be large enough to allow for the foot measurements 
shown on the plans. 

If no foundation plans are furnished, but only a 
center-line plan of the bolts, some knowledge of the 
principles of foundation designing is requisite. All 
well-designed, foundations are widest and longest at 
the bottom, thereby securing large bearing surface, 
lessening the liability of settlement, and affording 
greater resistance to strain. 

When the ground is soft and moist, the foundation 



FOUNDATIONS 3 

should be flared considerably more than ordinarily at 
the bottom, to further resist the tendency to settle. 
If the foundation is built in quicksand and piles are 
not used, good results can be secured by first laying 
two courses of oak planks, well spiked together, ex- 
tending some distance beyond the base of the founda- 
tion on all sides, the planks being 2 or 3 in. thick. 
The first course should be laid lengthwise of the founda- 
tion and the second crosswise of the first. 

These instructions are only general, of course, and 
the erecting engineer should use his judgment as to 
how far to depart from the dimensions given in the 
builders' plans; or, in the event of there being no 
plans, how far to extend the foundations beyond that 
of precedent. 

The forces which foundations are designed to resist 
are principally three in number: First and greatest 
weight (or gravity), which is always vertical in direc- 
tion; second, inertia; third, the pull of the main belt or 
rope, when the unit is not direct-connected. " Inertia " 
may be subdivided into two classes: those of " rotation" 
and " reciprocation." The former is called centrifugal 
force, and the latter comprises the alternating forces 
of acceleration and retardation. 

The forces of reciprocation act along the line of the 
piston's movement. The force of rotation acts in all 
directions radially from the center of the crank-disk. 
The forces of reciprocation become a very powerful 
component of the entire force exerted on the founda- 
tion when the speed is high and the "counterbalance" 
light. This reciprocatory influence and the force of 



4 ERECTING WORK 

gravity, acting at right angles to each other, produce 
a combined effort which is neither horizontal nor 
vertical, but at a greater or less inclination from the 
vertical, according to their relative magnitudes. 
When they are equal, the resultant angle will be 
45 deg. from the vertical; when the inertia of recipro- 
cation is greatest, the angle will be "greater" than 
45 deg. or more nearly horizontal; if the inertia force 
is less than gravity, the inclination of the angle will 
be less than 45 deg. or nearer vertical. 

Since in no case where these two forces act at angles 
to each other the resultant strain — their combined 
effort — is vertical, but is always inclined more or 
less outward, away from the engine bed, it is essential 
to build the foundation longest on the bottom, taper- 
ing gradually to within 12 in. of the top, so these 
resultant strains will be met directly by the resisting 
force of the masonry. The higher the rotative speed 
of the engine the more essential it is to have the ends 
of the foundation thus braced. 

According to the laws of inertia, "the forces of re- 
ciprocation and rotation increase with given stroke as 
the squares of the revolutions of the crank, and with 
given rate of rotation directly as the length of stroke." 
Therefore, if the speed of an engine is doubled, the 
forces of reciprocation and rotation are quadrupled. 
If the stroke is then doubled, these forces become 
eight times as great as they were at the former rates of 
rotation and stroke. 

The effect of reciprocation is modified more or less 
by placing a counterweight in the opposite side of the 



FOUNDATIONS 5 

crank from the crank-pin. This counterweight opposes 
the forces of reciprocation, being in effect a centrifugal 
force, or force of rotation, which acts in direct opposi- 
tion to them at the ends of the stroke only and exerts 
its full force upon the main bearing and front end of 
the foundation at midstroke, in a direction at right 
angles to the forces of reciprocation. 

In horizontal engines, this counterweight force acts 
alternately in the same and opposite directions to that 
of gravity, but, unlike gravity, acts at the crank end 
of the frame only, requiring a foundation resistance 
directly beneath it. Suppose, then, the weight of the 
engine to be equally distributed along its entire length 
— greater strength would be required in the front, or 
crank end, than in the back, or cylinder end, of the 
foundation, and this is particularly true of founda- 
tions for high-speed engines. 

The resultant of forces acting upon any point in the 
engine frame may be found by the following method: 
The heavy pointed lines in Fig. 1 represent the different 
forces and their direction, which are here spoken of as 
acting on a horizontal reciprocating engine belted to its 
work. The lines of force are shown lying in the direc- 
tion in which they act, all meeting at a common point, 
as at C. Let two of these lines, as C A and C /, form 
adjacent sides of a parallelogram, C A M I; then the 
diagonal C M will be the resultant of these two forces. 
Now, with CE and CD as two sides, construct the 
parallelogram C E F D. The diagonal C F will be 
the resultant of the three forces C I, C A and C D. 

The meaning of the pointed lines is as follows: The 



ERECTING WORK 



line C A represents the force of reciprocation on a 
horizontal bed; C I is the weight strain and CD the 
belt strain. The line C B, opposite and equal to C A, 
represents the inertia force on the return stroke. The 
forces of reciprocation surge forward and backward, 
giving a " sailing" motion to the engine frame when 
insecurely fastened to and held by the foundation. 



Ak- 




Vertical engines act more directly downward upon 
their foundation; both weight and the forces of re- 
ciprocation acting in that direction, the former always 
downward and the latter alternately upward and down- 
ward. In this type of engine it is the force of rotation 
which necessitates widening the foundation at the 
bottom; therefore, the force developed by the counter- 
weight has the same tendency to tip the foundation 
over as have the forces of reciprocation in horizontal 



FOUNDATIONS . 7 

engines. But counterweights should not be propor- 
tionately as large in vertical engines as in horizontal 
engines, for the reason that their effect is resisted with 
more difficulty than are the vertical strains of recipro- 
cation. 

In all foundations it is easier to provide for vertical 
than horizontal strains. The mass and form of foun- 
dation, for either a vertical or a horizontal engine, 
should be subject to modification, according to the 
speed at which the engine is to be run, the weight of 
reciprocating parts and the proportion of counter- 
balance to that weight. It should be remembered that 
increasing the counterbalance increases the force of 
rotation, while decreasing it, generally speaking, 
leaves a larger force of reciprocation unresisted within 
the" engine, increasing its effort upon the foundation 
at a given rate of rotation. 

With a vertical turbine the only force which acts 
upon the foundation is that of weight, or gravity. 
The twisting strain between the motor and generator 
is taken up by the frame itself. With a horizontal 
turbine, the strain on the foundation is that of weight, 
and unless the frame is sufficiently strong, the twisting 
strain also acts upon it. The frames are supposed 
to be strong enough, however, to take up all twisting 
strain. 

Having pointed out certain essential features which 
govern design, it will be as well to consider the con- 
struction of the foundation. Concrete foundations 
will be considered first, although the foregoing applies 
to any kind of foundation. 



8 



ERECTING WORK 



The dimensions and shape of the foundation having 
been decided on, a mold must be made. The inside 
dimensions of the mold must be equal to the dimensions 
it is desired to make the foundation, of course. The 
mold may be made of planks, sufficiently heavy to 
withstand all pressure and strain of tamping the con- 
crete, without "giving/' 

If the foundation is to remain rough on its surfaces, 
just as it comes from the mold, care should be taken 



Mould 



Furring 



FIG. 2 

so to construct the mold as to leave clean, uniform sur- 
faces. When it is intended to give the foundation an 
extra finish, furring is nailed to the inside of the mold. 
When the mold is removed the furring will remain 
imbedded in the surface of the concrete and furnish a 
hold for the finish. This furring should be fastened 
lightly to the inside of the mold, as in Fig. 2. 

If the foundation is to be located so the lower ends 
of the bolts will be accessible, recesses should be pro- 



FOUNDATIONS 



vided in the sides so nuts can be placed over plates on 
the lower ends of the bolts, as in Fig. 3. The openings 
for the foundation bolts should be provided for in the 
molds by boxes, or inserting pieces of pipe where the 
bolts are to come. 



Cpncrete. 

• ' ■ ■-: •' '.'•":■-.'■■ 




; ■- v.'^'i/"' A ; 

■■■■ : - ^"-v."#-j. >':-•:. 


1 i i j 


■^jtthiX 





FIG. 3 



The safest, as well as the quickest, way is to suspend 
the bolts from the templet over the mold with the nuts 
and plates in position, box the plate in at the lower end 
and slip over each bolt a section of pipe long enough 
to reach to the foundation top; or a wooden box can 
be made to serve the purpose. When the casing is 
placed over the bolt, pack rags, waste, or paper in the 
top, so as to hold the bolt central in the casing. 



How to Set the Templet 

Templets are furnished by most engine builders, 
and the makers' templets are the best. They are 



IO 



ERECTING WORK 



usually made with the outside edges of the templet of 
the same dimension as the top of the finished founda- 
tion; and in the case of concrete foundations sometimes 
the templet can be built into the top of the mold. If 
this is done, the templet must be placed with its bottom 
face corresponding in position to the finished surface 
of the foundation, and the bolts held high enough to 
allow for the thickness of nut and frame casting. 
This can be done by screwing the bolts far enough 
through the nuts on top of templet. 




Templet 



FIG. 4 

Figure 4 shows how the templet, nut and bolt would 
look in the heavy lines, set to bring the bolt to a cor- 
responding hight with the frame casting and nut in 
its final position, as shown by dotted lines. 

When the foundation bolts are suspended so that 
their weight is on the templet, the latter should be 
reinforced strongly so the templet will not sag and 
leave the bolts at the wrong level. When the templet 
and mold have been placed on their proper level with 
the bolts in place, the templet must then be set inline. 



FOUNDATIONS II 

On the templet are marked the center lines. In 
a horizontal engine there will be two lines, at right 
angles to each other, marked on the templet, the center 
line of the cylinder and the center line of the shaft. 
These lines will correspond with a b and e /, Fig. 5, and 
are used for reference in lining up the templet. If the 
engine is to be connected with a jack or line-shaft, then 
the center line of the engine shaft should be parallel 
with the jack or line-shaft and the center line of the 
cylinder at right angles. 

To set the templet lines true, set up a line from tar- 
gets on the wall to correspond with the center line of 
the shaft. This line can be at any convenient hight, 
but its two ends should be the same hight, and it should 
be stretched as taut as it will stand. Then set up a 
line from the walls, to correspond with the center line 
of the cylinder, the same hight as the other and as 
taut. 

To get these lines at right angles with each other, 
mark off two points, c and d on the line e /, Fig. 5, 
which will be six feet from the point g, and then mark 
off the point 1, eight feet from the point g on the line 
a b. Mark the points c, d and I with thread tied to the 
cord. If the two lines a b and e f are exactly at right 
angles, the distances c I and d I will each be exactly 
ten feet. If it is not, then the position of the line at 
fault must be changed until the distance is right. Be 
sure to keep the measurements c g, d g and / g exactly 
as given. 

If these distances can be doubled to 12, 16 and 20 
feet, the chances for error will be fewer. After these 



12 



ERECTING WORK 



lines are set true they can be used for reference to set 
the templet lines by. If they are above the templet, 
plumb lines can be hung over them and plumb bobs 
dropped down to serve as guides to bring the templet 
into position. After the templet is set, secure it in 
place so there is no possibility of its moving. The 
mold under it must also be carefully secured and 
braced in place. 




fig. 5 



If a vertical reciprocating engine is to be set, the 
center line of the shaft will be the only one marked on 
the templet. Turbines need not be set accurately, 
except that the piping surfaces must come in line, and 
for convenience of location. 

Having set the templet and mold in position, with 
the foundation bolts in place, the actual mixing and 
placing of the concrete is in order. First, place the 



FOUNDATIONS 13 

proper amount of stone in a pile and wet it; at the same 
time have some one mix the sand and cement in another 
pile, the two piles being side by side, as in Fig. 6. Wet 

Sand^ Cement A U /"<> Wet | Bton ^ ^ \ 

Mortar . \ / ^ ' ' w /A 

FIG. 6 

both piles thoroughly. Put the mortar on top of the 
stone, as in Fig. 7, and start to mix the two. They 
should be mixed thoroughly by hand, first, and then, 




FIG. 7 

beginning on each side of the pile of mortar and stone, 
shovel it into two piles turning each shovelful over in 
so doing. After making two piles of the mixed ma- 
terial, shovel them back into the center again into one 
pile. The proper proportions, using good materials, 
are six parts stone, three parts sand and one part 
cement (written 6-3-1). 

Then begin filling the mold with the mixed concrete. 
If the mold is too deep the concrete should be run in 
by means of a chute, or rolled down over planks. The 
concrete should not be thrown in to a distance of 
more than 8 feet in depth. After the concrete is 
run in, ram it in with a spade all around the edges 
of the mold, to make sure that it will reach all points, 
and then tamp each course in until the water stands 
on top of the concrete. Fill the mold to within three- 
quarters of an inch of the line where the engine 
frame will set, leaving this space for the final grout- 



i 4 ERECTING WORK 

ing after the frame is leveled and bolted in place on 
wedges. 

The foundation should then be allowed to set until 
its surface is hard, when the mold may be taken away 
and the setting up of the machinery begun. 

General Remarks 

Sometimes the erecting engineer will have problems 
to solve far different from those cited herewith. If 
the foundation bolts are to be placed in solid rock, or 
an old foundation, as is sometimes the case, holes 
must be drilled to a sufficient depth with a rock drill. 
When within 10 or 12 in. of the required depth for the 
bolt, change the drill so that one lip is longer than the 
other and finish drilling with it that way. This will 
make the hole larger at the bottom. Make the founda- 
tion bolt with the lower end split, lower the bolt with 
a partly entered iron wedge and drive it hard on the 
bottom, when the wedge will be entered so as to ex- 
pand the end of the bolt, as in Fig. 8. When the engine 
is in position fill the hole with cement-and-sand mortar. 

To avoid vibration from machinery, the foundation 
should be kept clear of the surrounding concrete floors 
by a narrow space, and if necessary this space may be 
filled with sawdust. Sometimes when foundations are 
set on a rock bottom, on which the building founda- 
tions also rest, the sound and vibration of the ma- 
chinery is telephoned throughout the building to the 
annoyance of tenants. This can be avoided by first 
tamping a layer of sand over the rock, 6 or 8 in. deep, 
and placing the foundation over that. 



FOUNDATIONS 



*5 



Where brick foundations are to be built, they should 
be laid first on a bottom of concrete, or stone, of vary- 
ing thickness, say from 12 to 24 in., and of sufficient 
length and breadth to extend a few inches beyond the 
bottom edges of the foundation all around. The 
templet, in this case, can be set on a scaffold the right 



m 



hi 



:■ Concrete ,-; 



1 



hight and centered. If the space will permit, build 
the scaffold of sufficient length and breadth between 
supports so that the masonry can be built up inside 
of them. In every case, build the scaffold strong and 
secure it well to prevent possibility of moving. 

The bricks for a foundation should be good, hard 



16 ERECTING WORK 

sewer bricks, laid in a mortar of two parts of sand to 
one of cement. Lay the bricks close, and make every 
fourth course a header. The center may be filled in 
with large bats well grouted. 

In finding center lines to set templets by, it is always 
best for the erecting man to have the contractor, 
architect, or millwright of the building furnish a line 
to go by. It is not the duty of the erecting engineer to 
go beyond the immediate limits of the engine room 
to establish lines; let some one in authority furnish 
the first line for a guide, as then the engineer is not 
responsible for the position of the machinery when 
set true to the line furnished. 

If rust joints are to be made, aim at a thickness of 
three-eighths of an inch all around between the edge 
of the engine frame and the foundation; an inch is the 
very outside limit. 

In allowing masons to work to your plans, or setting, 
it will not do to give them leeway in the matter of 
working dimensions. While it may answer to allow a 
bolt to be a little out of position when there is a hole 
around it in the foundation, which allows it to move 
an inch in any direction, measure to sixty-fourths, 
or to thousandths, if possible, in locating center lines. 
You won't get them from masons, but if you start with 
quarters you will often be from two to four inches out 
all around. A mason may tell you that he made 
foundations before you were born, and he may be 
speaking truthfully, but even he cannot tell how many 
of the dimensions were failures. If you let him have 
his way, it may be necessary to tear down part of the 



FOUNDATIONS 17 

foundation to relocate some of the bolts. If this is 
done it sometimes has the good effect of having him 
follow your instructions closely, next time. The erect- 
ing man is his company's representative on the ground 
and has to fight his employer's battles. We should 
begin by watching the mason who builds the founda- 
tion. 



II 

KNOTS AND HITCHES 

Figure 9, made by two endless slings and used as 
shown in Fig. 10, is a reliable basket hitch when both 
slings are of equal length, or with one sling long enough 
to take in one-half of the cylinder's diameter and the 
other to run through both loops of the smaller and have 
its own loops catch the chain hook. 

Some people hoist the shaft endwise by using a 
collar or lathe-dog as a safety stay; others use the 
bitting-rolling hitch shown in Fig. 11, but in one con- 
servative concern whose screw and bolt department, 
on the fifth floor, is provided with an independent hoist 
chain, they use the rig shown in Fig. 12. The bucket 
is hoisted above the floor level and then pulled in as 
the hoistway is reversed and made to lower away. 

It is a very common practise, in the absence of a 
ready-made endless sling, to tie a flat knot in a short 
length of rope and use it in lieu of a sling. Be careful 
to avoid a "granny knot/' Fig. 13, which is unsafe and 
which we all know about; but there is another fool 
trick which can easily be played with this knot. As 
it may be new to some of the readers, an explanation 
of it may be made here by the following experience. 
In lowering a bed-plate, and as it was going down, to 

18 



KNOTS AND HITCHES 



J 9 



help keep it clear of the building, the man in charge 
took hold of A, Fig. 13 (you might take B for a change), 




and gave it a good strong pull, and down came the 
bed-plate with a rush. The explanation of the knot 



20 ERECTING WORK 

letting go is this: — By pulling at A, Fig. 14, caused 
the loop to double back, as shown in Fig. 15, and then 
the weight of the bed-plate pulled A out of his hand, 
through the doubled loop, and, presto! the trick was 
done. In making a flat knot with chains, a piece of 
pipe or wood should be run into it, as shown by Fig. 13 
to prevent jamming. 

Figure 16 shows a good and safe way, known as a 
sheepshank, of shortening a long rope. It is self- 
evident that any amount and any length of loop may 
be used, but it must be carefully borne in mind that at 
least a 6-in. length of over-lap loop at X X is essential 
to absolute safety. 

The next is made without passing the end, and pro- 
vides two loops to which a tackle block can be hooked. 
Fig. 17 shows the start; Fig. 18, the second stage; 
Fig. 19 the manner of rolling two loops into the stand- 
ing portion of the rope, and Fig. 20, the two loops X X 
brought vertically down (after rolling) and ready for 
service. The block or fall must be hooked into both 
loops. The above is a safe and reliable hitch that can 
be wiggled in at any point in a rope, and besides being 
perfectly reliable, it is easily and quickly made and 
unmade. 

Figure 21 is an old and well-known friend of the 
rigger. 

Figure 22 is a simple and safe way to take a tem- 
porary hold, but as the mere shifting of the weighted 
loop will suffice to loosen the whole rig, the need of 
keeping meddlers away must be obvious. 

Figure 23 shows how in using a chain block whose 



KNOTS AND HITCHES 



21 




fig. 3 1 



22 ERECTING WORK 

hoisting and lowering range is necessarily confined to 
the limit of its chain length, the weight may be raised 
or lowered to any distance. Thus in Fig. 23 the chain 
travel is only 10 ft., but the weight has to be raised 
20 ft. We lower the chain and hook into the rope at 
A, hoist the 10 ft. and make the free rope's end B fast 
to any convenient projection overhead (if necessary, 
even to the chain block suspending hook C). We now 
unhook and lower the chain again for its new pre- 
viously-prepared hold lower down, as at D, and up she 
goes, the 20 ft. or any other old distance. We em- 
phasize previously prepared hold advisedly, as, if not so 
prepared, it will be found impossible to wiggle in a hold 
for the hook in the tautened rope. Fig. 21 cannot be 
used for second holds, and positively must not be used 
for a starter, or first hold, because, after fastening at 
C, it will be found both hard and dangerous to slip the 
hook out of it. 

Either the double-up, non-slipping loop, Fig. 24, or 
bowlines should be used all along the line. 

Speaking of bowlines, the slack line X may go either 
in front or back of the standing rope Y, as shown in 
Figs. 25 and 26; but in either case after going around 
Y, it must be passed through the loop Z in the manner 
shown at Fig. 27. Passing it through as shown at 
Fig. 28 cuts out the non-slipping feature and reduces 
the bowline to a farce. 

A broken hammer handle, a split monkey-wrench 
handle, etc., may be nicely repaired by the endless- 
wound splice Fig. 29. The make-up is, we think, pretty 
clear as shown, and it is evident that by pulling at A 



KNOTS AND HITCHES 23 

the loop D will make a similar loop in D at C, and con- 
tinued pull will draw the crossed loops out of sight. 
The loop ends may then be closely cut off. 

Figure 30 is preferable for extra neat work, in that 
it does away with the bulge caused by the crossed 
loops. Until the loop X is reached, all is plain sailing. 
The rope Y must then be held steadily in its place on 
the stick Z while the loop is swung around both it and 
the stick, as shown by the dotted outline. Only at 
the finish (shown in Fig. 31) should Y be allowed to 
move. Then it, as a part of loop L, should be swung 
around the stick as shown at N. Setting the coils 
close and drawing up at M completes the job. 

Always, and above all, in using ropes do not abuse 
them. Bagging, burlap, even waste or paper, if the 
first are not to be had, should always be interposed 
between a rope and all hard, angled, even if not sharp, 
edges. 

The knot shown completed in Fig. 37 is also known 
as "jury mast knot" and "bottle hitch." It can be 
used in place of a "mast iron" at the top of a derrick 
to make guys fast to. 

Although at first glance it appears to be complicated, 
it is very easy to make. To practise it, take a piece 
of stout cord between the thumb and forefinger of 
each hand with a space of about 6 in. between the 
hands. Then twist the cord right-handed with thumb 
and forefinger of the right hand only. This will 
throw up a "bight" like Fig. 32 with the part A under 
B. Grasp the loop between the thumb and forefinger 
of the left hand at the point where the two parts cross. 



24 



ERECTING WORK 



Then move the thumb and forefinger of the right hand 
along the cord about 6 in. and throw up another 
" bight" laying it on top of the first one. You then 
have Fig. 33. Hold these two "bights" with the left 




FIG. 32 



FIG. 33 



FIG. 34 



FIG. 35 



thumb and forefinger, measure off another 6 in. and 
throw the last "bight." Place it on top of the last 
one made and you have Fig. 34. Take the part E 




FIG. 36 



in the last "bight" at Fig. 34 and — while holding the 
other parts in place — pass it under B, over C, and 
under A. This makes Fig. 35. Then take B, Fig. 36 
and pass it under D and over F. The result is Fig. 36. 



KNOTS AND HITCHES 



2 S 



Then while holding E in the left and B in the right 
hand, take hold of X with the teeth and pull it. The 
result will be Fig. 37. In practise the part 0, Fig. 37, 
goes over the reduced part at the mast or derrick head. 
The forestay or guy is made fast to X. The stays to 
E and B. Y and Z form the back stays. Any strain on 
the stays tightens up 0. By pulling Y and Z in 
opposite directions the knot comes out. 





SLINGING A BARREL 
FIG. 38 

It is often necessary to sling a barrel containing 
castings or liquids. While with both heads on and 
bung in place this is an easy matter; with one head out 
this is not so easy. The illustrations 1, 2, and 3 in 
Fig. 38 show how this can be easily done. 



Ill 



HAULING HEAVY MACHINERY THROUGH 
CITY STREETS 

A city street makes a good roadway for moving 
machinery, even if it is heavy and on skids and rollers, 
and three thicknesses of 2-in. plank are enough for a 
track. The joints in the layers should be broken if 
the street surface is at all uneven and things are ready 
to move. If the street happens to be an old one with 
cobblestone pavement, and poor material beneath to 
support that pavement, of course things will have to be 
evened up with blocking. But this principle holds 
everywhere: one block across another and short spans 
for heavy loads. 

The most important question in hauling a heavy 
piece in this way, weighing sixty tons or more, is to 
provide the hauling force. The thing could be shoved 
with jacks and some progress made, too, or even with 
enough chain falls, three sets of three ton blocks, for 
instance, but the trouble with such rigging is of course 
the number of shifts that must be made and the time 
lost in making them. A good long rope falls with a 
pair of horses on the leading line is the quickest and 
easiest way of getting on. If the ground is level, a 
pair of good truck horses will haul that shaft with 

26 



HAULING HEAVY MACHINERY 27 

a one and one-quarter in. falls through a pair of three 
sheave blocks. That will give a pulling force of seven 
times the force exerted by the horses, for, of course, 
the team should pull in the direction of the onward 
movement and the ropes' end should be made fast to 
the load. This will give a speed of movement of one- 
seventh the speed of the team and will be amply fast 
for the best of level roads and a large gang of efficient 
men. If there were no pauses, which of course there 
must be, and many of them, a city block would be 
passed in seven or eight minutes. One great objection 
to going too fast will be the inability to stop a team of 
horses instantly. They like to go two or three steps 
after the time to stop, and this will mean a foot or so 
on the shaft. 

If the ground is uneven, and hills and hollows lie in 
the path, more power will be needed, of course, and a 
capstan head for either one or two horses is most con- 
venient. Motion is slower then, and there is less 
danger. The man hauling in the slack on the leading 
line, as the rope pays itself off, can check the onward 
motion instantly by slacking his hold, even with the 
drum in motion. The capstan will have to be shifted 
just as often as is the head block, and a new anchorage 
will have to be provided each time. If a capstan is not 
available, power can be gained quite as well with a luff 
tackle; that is, instead of hauling directly on the lead- 
ing line of the main falls, hook another falls onto it 
and pull on the second leading line. A lighter rope 
will answer for the second falls, for the whole force it 
exerts goes through a single part of the main falls; inch 



28 



ERECTING WORK 



rope or even three-quarter inch is amply large; smaller 
rope can be used, but this rope should be a long one, 
and there is not much call for a very long, small rope 
on other parts of the work. A set of half-inch blocks 
is convenient for small short lifts, valve gear and like 
pieces, but a long rope is very much in the way at such 
times. 

When a luff is used, it is just as well to let the haul- 
ing line of the main fall come back toward the load and 
fasten the other line to the head block. This will cut 
off one-seventh of the pulling force, but if the head 




PIG. 39 

block of the luff is itself fixed to the load, and its haul- 
ing line lead off to pull in the direction of the shaft 
motion, that seventh will be recovered. This will 
require an extra sheave in the luff blocks to equal the 
pull, were everything straightaway, but the advantage 
comes in not having to shift so many hitches so often. 
There will be one block that can always remain in place 
of this extra tackle. It will, of course, depend upon 
how much force is available, how much the load is, and 
how many men are upon the work. This will be made 
clearer in the sketches. Fig. 39 shows the straight- 



HAULING HEAVY MACHINERY 



2 9 



away pull with a pair of three sheave blocks, and with 
an arrangement giving seven times the force to move 
the load that is exerted on the hauling line. This is 
clearly a better arrangement than Fig. 40 shows, 



hauungune 




FIG. 40 

where the force multiplies itself six times only. The 
difference in these two arrangements is so apparent 
that a man who handles machinery for a living would 
not be caught using Fig. 40. But it has been used by 
some pretty good mechanics. 

The simplest and most powerful arrangement for a 
luff is to repeat Fig. 39 upon itself, that is, let the 




HAULING LINE.* 



FIG. 41 



hauling line be taken as the load and the new fall be 
hooked to it as if it alone were to be moved, as in Fig. 
41. Here the main tackle gives a multiplication of 
seven, and its hauling line furnishes load to a fall 



3o 



ERECTING WORK 



which multiplies five times; so that the force urging the 
load on is thirty-five times the hauling force. The 
sketch shows the leading line of the main falls going 
by the main anchorage. Of course this is not necessary 
nor convenient. There is no reason why the main 
leading line may not be shortened up and the head 
block of the luff anchored at the same fixture that fur- 
nishes anchorage for the main fall. Fig. 42 shows an 




FIG. 42 

arrangement of the two falls which is more often used, 
though some of the power is sacrificed. Here neither 
block of the luff tackle is stationary; what is really the 
head block being fast to the load itself while the other 
block hooks onto the leading line of the main falls. 
The force urging the load onward here is twenty-eight 
times the hauling force, a loss of 20 per cent, of the most 
powerful arrangement. Fig. 43 shows a method of 
main fall and luff with a multiplication of thirty-five 
and with the head block of the luff tackle fast to the 
load. Here, however, the hauling line leads back and 
is not always convenient. This arrangement would 
be an ideal one were a hand winch to be used and the 



HAULINC. HEAVY MACHINERY 



3 1 



|< wer winch fixed to the load itself and pulling away 
in the leading part of the secondary fall. 

Any one of these methods can multiply power 
enormously. With the winch as just mentioned in 
connection with Fig. 43, the winch enters as £ factor. 
An ordinary compound hand winch will multiply, by 
itself alone, any force acting upon the cranks, about 



.HAUUNG LINE 




FIG. 43 

thirty times, depending upon the gearing, of course, 
some being less and some more powerful. Here then 
the pulling or winding force furnished by the men with 
the handles is multiplied ten hundred and fifty times. 
If the shaft were to be lifted bodily, this hitch brings 
the force necessary down to a very small amount, less 
than one hundred and forty pounds, in fact, and is 
easily available with a few men. It is evident that to 
make all this force available, something more than 
seven parts of one and one-quarter inch rope is neces- 
sary. A bran-new inch and a quarter fall with seven 
hauling parts may be trusted for a straight pull of ten 
tons straight up in the air or in any other direction. 
But the rope must be in perfect condition. 



32 ERECTING WORK 

These schemes of rigging apply to the multiplication 
of power only, and show methods of reducing the 
amount of force needed to move a load. There is no 
economy, it is clear, in making an arrangement that 
one man can manage with one hand lightly on a winch. 
Nor yet again is there economy in having a man haul 
on a rope with the entire strength he can muster. 
Thirty pounds is a good fair pulling force for a man to 
exert, and keep it up long enough to run out the 
length of a hitch, provided he has his load placed 
advantageously; and he will have a reserve even at 
this, that will help over a temporary increased pull. 
Two men on a winch will do more than twice as much 
as one man. If a seventy-ton shaft were to be lifted 
up, something more than seven one and one-quarter- 
inch falls, each one through three sheave blocks, 
would be used. Though they could lift it, were each 
one fully loaded, there would be no way of knowing 
when each one had its share, and each one might part 
separately one after another. More parts of more 
powerful rope are used for heavy lifts, concerning 
which more will be said later. 

There may be some difficulty in finding anchorages 
along a roadway, solid enough to allow of a head block 
being hitched to them. If six tons are required to 
move the load along, there will come a backward pull 
of six tons on the anchorage, and something heavy 
must be found for the purpose, and good judgment 
used in hitching to it. The trunk of a tree will stand 
a lot of abuse. An 18-in. trunk will stand more hori- 
zontal pull than can be brought upon it in such work. 



HAULING HEAVY MACHINERY 



33 



Sometimes it is possible to take a turn about part of an 
old building. In one window and out another with a 
rope or chain and taking in a good solid corner, if the 
walls are thick and firm, will answer very well. Corners 
of the building must be protected with pieces of plank 
and tree-trunks must have a thickness of plank all 
around to protect their bark from damage, as shown in 
Fig. 44. Lamp-posts and hydrants usually have to be 
avoided. They will not stand much, anyway, and 




FIG. 44 

the authorities are likely to pass unpleasant remarks 
besides. They have been known to help, however. 
Telegraph poles are good and can be used for a good 
pull. They have not the hold upon the ground that a 
tree has, however, and are rather small for the heaviest 
work. But sometimes two or three weak things can 
be combined to make one solid one. It is always pos- 
sible to anchor a capstan by driving iron bars into the 
roadway. Take, for instance, a bar of two inch round 
iron, three feet long, and drawn down to a point on 
one end. Such bars can be driven into a roadway, 
with blows from a heavy sledge, for a distance of 
30 in. Four or more such bars will anchor any capstan 



34 ERECTING WORK 

or hand winch, and if the pull is not too heavy, will 
serve for anchorage of the head block itself. It is pos- 
sible, sometimes, to get hold of a coal hole in the side- 
walk and tie to a bar across the inside stones. 

There is one way always possible and always strong 
enough to resist any pull that cm be brought to bear 
upon it, that is: locating a dead man. That means 
simply taking a good stout grip on the earth. The 
principle is that a lot of plank and blocking sunk deep 
in the solid ground are good for a tremendous pull. 
There is a good deal of tenacity in the ground itself 
and this is its useful property that makes its weight 
available. 

A hole dug down 5 or 6 ft. deep, its depth de- 
pending upon the kind of soil, 6 ft. long, crosswise 
in the roadway and wide enough to get down into, 
three feet is ample, furnishes the foundation. The 
front side of this is partially covered with good three- 
inch plank and a block across the plank gives the 
something to pull on. A narrow and sloping trench 
should be dug for the rope, going up at an angle no 
steeper than 45 deg. and 30 is much better, and the 
rope provided with a block wherever it tends to cut 
down into a corner of the earth. Such a device is the 
last resort, but it is always good. Its disadvantage is 
the amount of work necessary to provide it and the 
trouble encountered in digging such a hole in the 
street. Fig. 45 shows a dead man. It is best to 
locate this thing where it can be used more than once, 
and for more than one purpose. If the front earth is 
left overhanging, as shown in Fig. 45, it may be used 



HAULING 1 1 i:\VV MACMIXKRY 



35 



for a more vertical pull, and is useful where a hoist 
must be made from a winch and an anchorage found 
for snatch blocks. By such methods and appliances 
as here described, it is possible to move a shaft or any 




"* /A 



fig. 45 



other heavy piece through town streets, making track 
or blocking foundations where needed. And inasmuch 
as the crank-shaft is not usually the first piece needed 
in getting an engine in place on its foundation, it may 
well be left standing on its rollers, without the entrance 
to the building, while the balance of the machine is 
taken from the cars. 



IV 

RUNWAYS ON AN INCLINE 

Raising a large crank-shaft on blocking and lower- 
ing it to its bearings requires a considerable degree of 
engineering skill. Not as much skill, perhaps, as is 
required in designing such a shaft, not as much re- 
sponsibility involved. But there is a better precedent 
established for a large shaft design. It is possible to 
tell almost precisely what will happen to a 24-in. shaft, 
for instance, when it holds up 50 tons and turns it over 
80 times a minute. The engineer handling the shaft 
knows what he has done before, but a new rigging has 
to be devised every time, for no two jobs are alike and 
the material at hand has to be used whether or not it 
is well suited to the purpose. 

Some way must be devised of raising the shaft up 
and into the engine room. This may be done with 
jacks and blocking, but inasmuch as all the material 
must be raised to the engine room floor level, it is easier 
to build a runway for the first piece and use it for every 
other piece. That means it must be strong enough 
and good enough to furnish passageway for the shaft. 

More care is needed in building an incline to be used 
for hauling machinery up than is necessary in build- 
ing one for letting it down. The weight itself is no 

36 



RUNWAYS ON AN INCLINE 37 

greater, but there is a vast deal more pulling and 
hauling to be done. In coming down friction is no 
hindrance, while in going up it adds to the load; so 
unless there is an abundance of pulling force to be had 
conveniently, a good long run should be built. A slope 
of one in six is steep enough and a longer one is better. 
This angle is steeper than the angle of friction. A 
shaft will keep moving after being once started on a 
well-built runway sloping one in eight, or possibly one 
in ten if it has plenty of rollers. It will not start of 
its own accord, however, on a slope of one in ten from 
a standstill; it takes very little to hold a shaft still on 
an incline sloping one in eight, that is to prevent it 
from starting of its own accord down hill. It takes no 
great force to prevent it starting itself down an incline 
of one in six; but it takes a pretty good pull to start 
it up a steep slope, and as a rule one in six is fully the 
limit of slope in the ordinary case and with ordinary 
tools and rigging. If there is room it will pay to make 
the runway longer. 

For a long and high run, considerable timber will 
be required and some method will have to be adopted 
that will use only what is necessary. Cob house 
blocking will answer and is easily built, but it requires 
more material than does any other way. 

It is better to do a little framing, as shown in Figs. 
46 and 47. A wood column 10 in. square and 10 ft. 
high will stand an enormous load, full as much as a 
space of like area (10 in. square) will stand across the 
grain as it would in a pile of blocking. Such a column 
will hold up 30 tons with perfect safety and will stand 



38 



ERECTING WORK 



a good amount of abuse in the way of rough framing, 
so that if bents are made, as shown in Fig. 47, and the 




FIG. 46 

main risers are 10 in. square, the bents will need to be 
placed no closer than 12 ft. so far as they are them- 
selves concerned, though of course for this long span 
heavy string timber will have to be used on top. 

c 




FIG. 47 



The framing itself is not difficult. It is not necessary, 
of course, to make a tenon and mortise joint, nor even 
need the pieces be halved together; but something 



RUNWAYS ON AN INCLINE 



39 



more than toe nailing is necessary. The easiest joint 
is the double covering strips just as is found in the up- 
to-date butt joint in a boiler, only plates are somewhat 
thicker. Fig. 48 shows the method, simply two pieces 




of plank spiked to each of the two members, the plank 
being long enough to get a good grip on at least one 
piece. 

The distance between uprights, Fig. 47, and also 
the length of the cross piece should be determined by 
the width between the skids of the heaviest piece, that 
is the shaft, and the thing should be arranged so that 
these uprights will come about under the skids. 
• The size of the cross pieces will depend upon the load 
they are to carry. Ten by tens reaching across a span 
of six feet and held down well with a good load at each 
end can be trusted with a center load of about six tons, 
but it will be difficult to make any great load come upon 
those cross timbers at their centers, for they will give 



40 ERECTING WORK 

more than the columns will, so the middle stringer C, 
Fig. 47, cannot be depended upon to take a third of 
the load. If the long timbers for these stringers are 
rather light it is better to have more bents and so 
shorten up the span, rather than to trust too much to 
the middle timber. For 12-in. square stringers a span 
of six or seven feet is in good proportion, and even 
then a middle stringer will be a convenience. It is not 
the strength of the structure so much as its stiffness 
that should be considered. The stiffer it is, the less it 
gives under push and pull, the easier will things slide 
up properly. 

Each bent must be braced diagonally with plank 
spiked on solidly, as shown at d and e, Fig. 47. These 
diagonal planks will keep the thing stiff and able to 
resist any side twist. It would be exceedingly unstable 
without them. A high and curving trestle would 
require more secure side bracing than here shown. 
Further, each bent must be braced by diagonal plank 
to each of its neighbors, as shown at x and g, Fig. 46. 
These bind the whole thing together and add to the 
solidity of the whole. The foundation may well be 
two thicknesses of 3-in. plank or their equivalent 
resting fairly upon the solid earth. These planks 
should have a good bearing on stiff ground, over their 
whole length, as nearly as may be for the whole load of 
the column is concentrated at one point. Particular 
care should be taken to see that there is at least a good 
support directly under the point where the center of 
the column comes. 

If the incline is steep, it is best to break the sharp 



RUNWAYS ON AN INCLINE 41 

depression at the entering point A, Fig. 46. The tend- 
ency is in passing over any change in slope in the path 
of a heavy piece on skids to concentrate the load at 
one or two points. If the change is slight, the piece 
will pass all right with a little care in arranging rollers 
and a slight extra pull. If the change is abrupt, serious 
damage may be done even so far as breaking the skids. 
So it is well to break all those sharp corners and a few 
pieces of block pared down to an easy taper will correct 
any such hollow as that shown at A, Fig. 47. 

It is usually somewhat more convenient in erecting an 
engine of this kind, if the large door for entering ma- 
chinery is at the end of the building, in the wall parallel 
with the center line of the engine itself and out a little 
way in front of the crank-shaft, so that a person stand- 
ing in the doorway would look along down the engine 
room in a line just passing the outer circumference of 
the row of fly-wheels, if there are several engines. 
There are fewer turns to be made in getting the parts 
onto the foundation when this is the case. It is a 
common thing to find, however, that the door itself is 
more conveniently placed in the side of the building. 

A runway in front of the engine foundation will 
have to be built strong enough to hold up the shaft. 
If there is a permanent floor already laid, it may be 
stiffened up with shores and blocking. It will have to 
be good and stiff, however, for loads will be concen- 
trated at one spot by the jacks in raising the outfit to 
its necessary level. Plenty of room must be left in 
front of the door for turning the shaft about square 
with the engine. It is frequently possible to avoid a 



42 ERECTING WORK 

sharp corner by making a long turn; and an incline 
trestle may be built upon a curve, increasing its length 
and making less and easier work both in the raising 
and the turning. But this is true only of long turns. 
If the turn is so short that much jacking is necessary 
for shifting the rollers, it is better to concentrate all 
the turning at one place and then rig up and make a 
business of it. Straight runs on rollers are easily 
passed in good time and a long turn made by small cuts 
in setting the rolls are not difficult, but a general jack- 
ing all around every time a piece moves ahead its own 
length takes up more time than is reasonable. 

In the case at hand it might be possible to build the 
incline neither perpendicular to, nor parallel with, the 
wall having the entering door, but on a long winding 
slant through the door cornerwise, if it is wide enough, 
and lay along in front of the engine without any sharp 
turns whatever. But in such a method the shaft is 
never moving straight ahead and every roll is binding 
against every other roll in its effort to do the guiding. 
It is better to use the room in front of the door by get- 
ting down a good stiff temporary floor and arranging to 
jack the shaft around in that one spot. The sliding 
can be done upon the rollers. Wood does not slide as 
easily on wood as it does on iron, particularly when 
the load is heavy, and less force would be necessary if 
the rollers were taken out and strips of iron laid on 
blocks were substituted. The objection to this is the 
difficulty in taking rolls out and putting the blocking 
in. Usually there is not room to haul a long roller out 
straight. 



RUNWAYS ON AN INCLINE 43 

One jack should be used at each end, on opposite 
corners, one braced against the foundation or some 
part of the engine frame, while the other goes up against 
the wall of the building, and the ends will do all the 
moving, the center standing still. 

Whenever a jack is braced up against the wall of a 
building, care should be taken to see that the wall itself 
does not yield. Of course no wall will stand all the 
load that can be brought upon it sideways with a jack. 
It is possible to stiffen things up with plank and block- 
ing so that a large area will be taken in. Sometimes, 
it is well to give the jack a small rising slant so that it 
will have a slight lifting tendency as it shoves the shaft 
around. This may distribute the load better. Rollers 
should be laid out so that the shaft may come about 
on them, the last rolls being laid square with the new 
direction which the shaft is to take. The rollers will 
have to be rearranged after the shaft is wholly turned; 
but this is done easily with the jack and sledge. 



V 

WORK FOR A GIN POLE 

There are always four or five wagon-loads of stuff 
belonging to an engine after the large pieces have been 
taken from the cars. Connecting-rods, cross-heads 
and pistons, valves and valve-gear, the governor and 
its connections, all in boxes, or secured to plank and 
skids; the piping between cylinders with gate-valves 
for same; the air-pump and its fittings if the engine is 
to have a condenser, all go to swell the total. And 
that loose stuff takes up a lot of room, too. Most of 
it must be stowed away under cover, for it is not best 
to leave finished and polished stuff out of doors where 
it can be injured, and all that can be taken care of is 
put around the engine room. All this material added 
to the blocking and rigging from the heavy pieces, 
blocking from the shafts, for instance, fills the engine 
room pretty full, and some care and management will 
be called for in placing the parts so that those needed 
first will not be at the bottom of the heap and the whole 
outfit have to be dug over three or four times. The 
eight valves may be safely kept in their boxes and 
placed at the bottom, followed by valve-gear and 
running-gear. Piping and condenser rigging should 
be kept separate, for that will be needed immediately 

44 



WORK FOR A GIN POLE 45 

after the machine is lined up in order to blow out 
cylinders and ports. Fly-wheel bolts should be acces- 
sible, for they will be needed as soon as the shaft is in 
place. The governor or governors, if there be two, 
will not be needed till toward the last end. But it 
may be advisable to have those where they can be 
hauled out. The governors have a property that no 
other part does. An engine appears pretty well along 
in its process of erection when the governor is up. It 
looks decidedly bare when it is without its governors. 
It is a good plan to bolt on such a piece the day after 
the lining up is over. It makes a profound impression 
upon the audience, and will take the curse off of three 
or four bad days — days when the public believes that 
things have gone slowly, and that the man setting the 
job up doesn't know much any way. 

There is little in the way of lifting that cannot be 
done with jacks; but the slide section of the engine is 
about the worst piece to handle. It is not very 
heavy, but there is nothing to take hold of with a 
jack, and even after it is up high enough it must be 
slid ahead, square and level, in order to enter the 
counterbore made for it in the frame. It is a difficult 
matter to slide the thing ahead on rollers and 
blocking. 

The slide section of the engine of the size here written 
of — 1 200 horse-power — can best be handled with a 
stout gin pole. There are engines having slides cast 
with a foundation bearing all over the whole bottom 
surface. Of course, such a piece can be slid up and 
brought in line with wedges very easily. The section 



4 6 



ERECTING WORK 



here described is one made by most of the builders 
now, having no foundation support between cylinder 
and frame. Fig. 49 shows a side view of such a slide 
and end view in Fig. 50. 




FIG. 49 



The slide should be laid along the foundation roughly 
in the general line it is to take when bolted in place on 
its skids and rollers. Then the gin pole is to be stood 
up over it and the fall made ready to hoist. A 10 X 10 
pole, 16 ft. long, will answer here. In selecting a 
pole for hoisting material of this kind it is well to pick 
out a good long stick once for all and use it for nothing 



WORK FOR A GIN POLE 47 

else. The corners of the bottom end should be rounded 
up, so that at whatever angle the pole may stand the 
pressure will come in part way toward the center- 
Then the head block may be lashed securely to the 
top; also the main guy blocks. This work once done 
will save some time, for it need not be disturbed. The 




FIG. 50 

head block for the hoist should be at least three sheaves 
for ij-in. rope. This will handle a load of six tons 
with a good new rope, even if there are but two sheaves 
in the bottom block. 

For greater loads more rigging can be used, but it 



48 ERECTING WORK 

may be of the same kind, making no change except 
adding a greater quantity. Supposing the main hoist- 
ing blocks to be a three sheave at the top and a two 
sheave at the bottom; this will give five hoisting ropes, 
and with a 6-ton load only 2400 lbs. can come on 
one rope. An inch and a quarter line will hold that 
load, even after it has seen some wear, though no rope 
can be trusted with a load after it has seen abuse. 

With a snatch block lashed to the load the rope's 
end may be led through and back to the head of the 
gin pole, increasing the safe load to seven tons and 
over. And another snatch block may be lashed to the 
top of the pole, which will allow the line to be brought 
back and made fast to the load. These two extra 
lines increase the original safe load 40 per cent. Of 
course, this might be carried on, adding snatch block 
after snatch block, and adding one useful rope for each 
snatch block. But it is better to add another set of 
blocks than to go too far in this direction. In fact, any- 
thing more than one added block at the bottom and 
one more at the top is unusual. 

It is possible to cover a somewhat limited area with 
a gin pole 16 ft. long; that is, its head may be moved 
about, carrying the load with it, while the foot is 
stationary. And it does not take any great force to 
move sideways, provided the whole load is not upon 
the particular guy fall, which must be hauled in. It 
is more difficult to move a gin pole loaded, back and 
forth, for then the load has to be lifted. 

With a heavy load the top of a 16-ft. pole may be 
moved to cover an area about five feet square, pro- 



WORK FOR A GIN POLE 



49 



vided -the casting itself does not take up so much room 
that the proper angle cannot be assumed by the pole. 
A movement of five feet does not make a very good 
traveling crane, but it is so much better than nothing 
that it is of accepted value. Care should be taken in 
arranging guy falls so that no overload will come there. 
There is frequently more stress thrown upon these falls 
collectively than the hoisting fall has to stand itself; 
and this stress is the greater as the slope of the pole 
increases, starting from a vertical line, and also as the 




FIG. 51 

guys themselves are made shorter and more nearly 
approach a vertical. So long guys, as nearly horizon- 
tal as may be, and a vertical pole place the least stress 
on all parts. About 30 deg. from a vertical is the 
usual limit of pole angle for a heavy load, and there 
should be three guys led back, one at the center of 
the load and the other two stretched out, including 
an angle of about 90 deg. in all. Fig. 51 shows their 
angular relations, which is a plan view in diagram. 
The load tends to pull the pole over in the direction L. 



50 ERECTING WORK 

The guy A would itself prevent this, and if it were 
strong enough could hold the pole upright. But the 
pole would, of course, be very unstable and could not 
be trusted for an instant. So the additional guys B 
and C are led off to prevent the outfit from falling side- 
ways. Also, it is evident that by hauling in on line C 
while slacking line B and holding line A fast, all at the 
same time, the pole and its load must go over toward C 
Also, by taking in on all three lines, A, B, and C, at 
the same time must pull the load over toward A, while 
slacking off all three together, the load falls and moves 
in the direction L. It is evident that in moving 
toward A the load is raised, and that all three falls 
should be hauled in at the same time, for if A alone 
were taken in it would take the whole of the guy load, 
and in addition to becoming unstable might part, due 
to too great a load. The two guys B and C together 
hold about as much as guy A does alone. 

Sometimes the snatch block for leading the hauling 
rope over toward the hoisting drum is lashed to the 
foot of the gin pole. This is allowable, provided this 
foot is securely held. It gives a pull on the foot of the 
pole nearly equal to the pull on the rope, and the foot 
must have anchorage equal to this added load. It is 
usually better to lash the snatch block to some other 
fixture — a part of the engine, or a foundation bolt 
for instance. 

Making a hitch of lashing for the hook in the lower 
block on a piece, such as shown in Fig. 49, is not dif- 
ficult, and a number of good ones may be devised. 
Whatever is adopted it should be made so that the 



WORK FOR A GIN POLE 51 

hook may be shifted a little in order to bring the piece 
to balance approximately level. The easiest way is to 
take three or four turns of inch or inch and a quarter 
rope at each end, as shown at A and B, Fig. 49, bind- 
ing four strands or more of i^-in. rope, pulled up 
rather tight, into which the hook is fastened. 

The hand winch will pull up this load easily. As it 
comes up it will be easy to see whether it is balanced 
properly, and if not it must be lowered off and the hooks 
slipped along a little. It is possible, with a piece 
nicely hung, to bring it up and swing it up to its place 
square and level, changing the guys, B, C, and A, to 
bring this about. Then a screw-jack placed at the 
back end will allow the hitch to be removed after 
bolting up. 



VI 

RIGGING FOR THE RECEIVER 

The section of a fly-wheel for a 1200 horse- 
power engine may weigh five or six tons. The rim 
itself is nearly square in cross-section, and an arm 
is cast right with the section coming out radially from 
the center of its arc. So there are as many sections 
as there are arms. 

A fly-wheel section looks to be an awkward piece to 
handle. It cannot be skidded very well and there is 
not much surface for a roller. But they can be handled 
and upon rollers without skids. Most of the weight is 
in the rim. Probably there is less than a ton and a 
half in the arm itself. Those arms are frequently 
cored out for a portion of their length. A solid arm 
must, of course, weigh more. So if rollers are placed 
crosswise to the length of the rim, they take about 
four-fifths of the weight and the hub end of the arm 
weighing less than a ton can be pinched around with a 
crowbar. Fig. 52 shows the method of handling these 
pieces. The piece is guided with a crow-bar at D 
sometimes held back and sometimes pried ahead, for 
it is possible to so place the hitch that the hub end of 
the arm will be hauled around instead of rolling the 
rim end. The section can be rolled down the stringers 

52 



RIGGING FOR THE RECEIVER 53 

to the wagon and loaded on sideways, that is at the 
side of the wagon. It is possible, of course, to load it 
at the end of the wagon, but in that case the end of the 
arm must be lifted over the top of the hind wheel, and 
there is nothing to be gained by loading in this way 
for one piece will make a load for a good team of 
horses. 




FIG. 52 

Such a piece should not be left on the car, flat, with 
nothing under the rim to allow of entering the toe of a 
jack. When a section does lie so, it is best to begin 
to raise the arm at its center end. This will open up a 
space all over the rim except at a single point on the 
outer edge as at A^ Fig. 52. Then as thick a piece of 
blocking as can be gotten under should be placed at 
point B, and the arm lowered to the floor again. This 
will tip up one end of the rim, as C about twice the 
thickness of the block at B. Then a stone jack can 
enter its toe at C, and the section can be raised very 
easily all over and with only one jack. 

It is seldom necessary to go from one end to the 



54 



ERECTING WORK 



other of a heavy piece with a jack when only one jack 
is to be had. It is always possible with any fairly 
regular shaped piece to go up with both ends and keep 
the jack continually at one end. 

For instance, suppose the load to be represented by 
Fig. 53. The center of weight or the center of gravity 







2^^.--*% 



?n 



™. 53 

goes up when one end is raised and the other stands 
still. Then if a block is placed at A, a little past the 
center, the opposite end, B, must come up when the 
jack is lowered off, away down to its limit. Now a 
block as thick as possible should be placed at B, Fig. 53, 
and the jack again made to raise end C. Now a thicker 
block can be placed at A, the jack lowered and the 
opening at B filled again. This method saves carry- 
ing the jack back and forth and is very rapid even 
for pieces of considerable size; for when two jacks are 
used, only one can be moving at a time. 

The receiver of a 1200 horse-power engine is usually 
an awkward and ungainly affair, at least so far as 
handling it is concerned. It may weigh about three 
or three and one-half tons, so that no great force is 
needed to move it; and if it lies on skids w r ith a small 
cradle cross-piece at each end it will slide along all 



RIGGING FOR THE RECEIVER 



55 



right when on rollers. It is handled just as a cylinder 
is handled and hauled over to the engine room on a 
truck. 

There is usually a place for the receiver of a large 
engine" and if that place is under the floor, it is well to 
drop it down between the foundations, bolt its legs on 
once for all and leave it roughly in its proper position, 
out of the way before its passage is blocked by the 
shaft, or by any other part and ready to be piped up. 

If a large receiver is to be stood up on end and 
lowered down beneath the floor, something more than 
j;.cks will be needed. While it is possible to do any- 
thing in the way of lifting weights with jacks and 
blocking, the process is exceedingly slow for long lifts. 

An engine erector is entitled to the hope that there 
is something in the roof or ceiling of his engine room 
strong enough to pull on, say with moderate loads; 
a roof truss that can be trusted safely with a ton or 
more, or some main timber within easy reach. If the 
roof trusses will hold a ton at each of two of their joints, 
it is easy to rig up overhead work that will lift four 
tons; for two timbers can be placed, reaching from the 
joints of one truss to the joints of the next, and the 
blocks slung from these timbers. Sometimes there are 
no trusses, however, and the ceiling is as smooth as 
can be; then if there is no overhead rigging, something 
must be done to make some. 

It is always possible to provide a gin pole out of the 
lumber at hand. A ten by ten square timber, 16 ft. 
long, can be trusted safely with fifteen tons, even 
when swung off at an angle and held with rope falls 



56 



ERECTING WORK 



for guys. It would very likely hold more than this; 
but it is unusual to trust such a load, or even ten 
tons to the rigging that can be hung from a single 
stick. 

In the case of this receiver the gin poles need not be 
1 6 ft. long; 10 or 12 ft. is plenty and it will be most 
convenient to use two poles, one for each end. Sticks 
eight inches square are large enough, or even six inches 
if the timber is good and sound. The whole load will 
be thrown onto one pole, however, before the receiver 
is in place and allowance should, of course, be made 
for this. Also, the pole will not bear as much weight 
when it is swung off at an angle and held by guy lines 
as it would were it straight and held stiff under a mill 
floor, for instance. 

The receiver may be run in between the two founda- 
tions, timber being strung across from one foundation 
to the other and plank laid down to furnish a tem- 
porary runway. It will appear, then, as shown in 
Fig. 54 and in Fig. 55, the first an end view and the 
second a side view of the receiver and its rigging. 

The foot of the pole should come against a block, B, 
Fig. 54, to prevent its slipping in that direction. If the 
lift is not to be a straight one, and frequently it is not, 
the foot of the poles should be securely lashed to some 
solid fixture. Also guy lines should be led off, at least 
two, and if much movement sideways is required 
three will be needed. An inch fall makes the most 
convenient guy, for it can be taken up or slacked off 
most easily. 

One great advantage of a gin pole over any sort of 



RIGGING FOR THE RECEIVER 



57 




fig. 54 



overhead rigging is that it can be moved through a 
considerable arc, carrying load with it, by slacking or 
by hauling in the guy lines; and, of course, a rope fall 
is very convenient for such work. 




55 



The two pair of falls for the hoist here may be one 
and one-quarter inch rope through pairs of three and 



58 



ERECTING WORK 



two sheave blocks, or even one inch rope will answer 
through blocks of the same size if the rope is new. 

The hitch on the receiver will have to be made with 
some care, particularly the top end. The whole thing 
is to end up while being supported by this hitch and 
provision must be made for the slipping of the hook in 




FIG. 56 

the bite. The easiest way to do this will be to use a 
sling of one and one-half inch rope, and lash the sling 
to the top end, as shown at A, Fig 55, with a number 
of turns of one and one-quarter inch rope, say five 
turns. This lashing must be wound as tight as can be 



RIGGING FOR THE RECEIVER 59 

made by hand, and brought up close under the flange 
for the top head. This flange is what holds the hitch 
in place, of course. At least one round turn should 
be made by the sling about the lashing at top and 
bottom to prevent the slipping sideways. This is 
made apparent in Fig. 56, which shows the receiver 
dropped down to its landing. The sling need be 
nothing more than a piece of one and one-half in. rope 
made into a sling by tying a square knot for joining 
the two ends after the hitch is made. The hitch at 
the bottom end is nothing but a piece of inch and a 
half rope wound four times around the receiver with 
two of the bites passed up through the hook. The two 
turns about the barrel that do not pass through the 
hook keep the whole hitch tight and in place. This is 
one of the main principles of using rope in rigging. 
Another principle is that of using many turns where 
a lashing must be made tight with the two ends tied 
together after the turns have been made in a knot of 
some kind. There must be a little slack at the knot 
when the bends come. If there were but one turn, all 
this slack must go into that one and however tight 
the rope was pulled at first, the result must be loose. 
If six or eight turns be taken instead of one, that slack 
divides itself into six or eight parts and the whole 
hitch will be pretty tight. 

Now something will have to be provided for hauling 
the lines of the main hoists. This would not be neces- 
sary were chain falls used, for two men can lift tons 
with chain blocks. But one disadvantage of the chain 
fall is its limited amount of motion. If the chain is 



6o 



ERECTING WORK 



made long enough for a long hoist, the spare chain is 
much in the way on shcrt hoists. A hand winch is the 
machine for this work, provided there is no steam 
winch to be had conveniently. 

There is but one capstan drum on a hand winch, or 
but one drum of any kind, and as this receiver must be 
raised and held up at each end in order to clear away 
the blocking, one of the ends must be raised at a time 
and held there while the other end uses the winch. 
It is best to begin with the bottom end, as this is lighter 
and can be easily slacked off from some stationary 




anchorage. There will be required a pull of about 
eight hundred pounds to raise the one end, and as this 
is only a short lift, not over four inches to clear block- 
ing, it could be done with a luff. But the winch is all 
there and ready, and is easily used. The bite only of 
the hauling part of the fall need be passed around the 
drum for these small short lifts. There is, of course, 
an extra part of the rope which is somewhat in the 
way, but this saves handling the long leading line over 
so many times. The drum will look as in Fig. 57, and 



RIGGING FOR THE RECEIVER 61 

one man can haul in on the slack line, A, without any 
trouble, keeping the loose rope out of the gears of the 
winch beside. 

When the bottom end of the receiver is up four or 
five inches, enough to clear blocking and a little more 
to allow for what will be lost in making fast twice, 
some way must be devised for getting the hauling part 
of the fall away from the winch and holding it tight 
all the time in order not to let the load back and still 
have it possible to pay out one hundred feet or so of 
line in lowering off. The first move will be to seize 
two of the ropes on the fall with good stout twine — 
marline is excellent for this — but a strand of old rope 
will arswer. Every rope in a fall moves in reference to 
every other rope when the fall itself is hauled in or let 
out ; so if this relative motion of the ropes is prevented 
from taking place, the fall is held fast and the load 
with it. For this purpose two ropes should be chosen 
whose relative motion is great; the greater the better, 
for less stress is put upon the binding then. The two 
ropes which have the greatest relative motion are, of 
course, the hauling part, and the same rope after it 
passes once over the head block, numbered + 5 and 

— 5 in Fig. 58. In a set of 3-2 blocks as there shown, 
the relative motion is ten times the movement of the 
load and so only one-tenth of the load on the block 
could come on this binding. But it is not usually con- 
venient to get hold of the hauling line and bind it to 
one of the other lines. 

The next best pair of ropes are numbered + 5 and 

— 3, and here the load divides itself by eight before it 



62 



ERECTING WORK 



comes to the binding, and as these two can be gotten at 
readily the fall in side view will appear as shown in 
Fig. 59. Of course, any pair of ropes might then be 
bound together, even two on the same side of the 




sheaves, as + 1 and + 3. But one-half of the total 
load would come on the binding then, tending to make 
it slip; and when the leading line was slacked there 
would be only two ropes holding the load. For bind- 
ing in this way, always select a pair of ropes nearest 
the hauling part and two running over the same sheave 
in the head block, or tail block. 

The relative values of the ropes and their relative mo- 
tion is shown in Fig. 58, where the load is supposed to 
go up one part. The motion of the other ropes is shown 
by the figures adjacent, the + sign showing upward, 
and — sign showing downward movement of the rope. 



RIGGING FOR THE RECEIVER 



6,3 



When the ropes have been securely bound, the lead- 
ing line now on the winch may be taken off and led 
over to some stationary post, or part of the building, 
wrapped around about three turns and then tied fast. 
The bottom end of the receiver is now hung in the fall, 
and the winch is free to pull up the top end: Four 
inches will be found enough and then all blocking, 
skids and plank can be removed, and a hole made 
through the temporary floor for passing the receiver 
through. 




FIG. 59 

Now the fall holding up the bottom end of the piece 
may be slowly slacked off and the receiver will right 
itself, nearly straight up and down. The fall on the 
winch in now slacked away and the piece slowly 
lowered to place, being straightened if necessary with 
a small watch tackle giving a pull over on top. 



VII 

MOVING A CYLINDER 

It is always easier to get a horizontal engine together 
when the engine room is so arranged that the large 
opening for entrance of machinery is in front of the 
fly-wheel and the cylinder may be rolled into place 
before any of the other parts are in the building. 
When this is not the case, the shaft must be rolled in 
and laid over against the wall in front, while the 
frames are being brought in. Then the shaft may 
be rolled into place and the room cleared of lumber. 

There are no pieces outside of the shaft of a 1200 
horse-power engine that will need to be rolled through 
the streets on plank and rollers. A good, stout wind- 
lass truck will carry cylinders, slides and frames 
easily, one at a time. 

Usually the cylinders of an engine are loaded onto 
the car lengthwise, that is, with center line of cylinder 
parallel with the long edge of the car. It is possible 
to handle a cylinder, even a 52-in. low pressure, side- 
ways, and load it onto the truck, just as was the 
crank-shaft onto its first section of blocking. But 
there is nothing to be gained by it, and nobody ever 
does so. The cylinder should be jacked around 
square with the car and shoved lengthwise onto the 

64 



MOVING A CYLINDER 



65 



wagon. There is nothing hard about jacking a cylin- 
der around. There is always a nice handy place for 
the toe of a jack, and here of all places is a stone jack 
convenient. Place the toe of the jack at point A, 
Fig. 60, and go up far enough to clear a strip of half- 
inch iron, of width two inches, or of any other width, 
and also high enough to pull out and clear the nails 




FIG. 60 

with which the cylinder skids are nailed to floor bottom. 
Go to the other end and get another half-inch strip 
under, and things are ready to slide. Two blocks of 
wood should be spiked to the car floor for footings for 
jacks, one at each end, as in Fig. 61, and the jacks will 
squeeze the piece around very handily. The flat iron 
makes things slip easily and it need not be disturbed 
once under. When the piece is around square, the 
jacks can be put at A again and three or four rollers 
slid under on top of four inches of plank. 

The wagon floor is some 15 in. lower than the car 
floor, and some stringers will have to be laid down to 
reach down and across. They need not be very long, 
however, 6 or 8 ft. is enough, and if the stringers 



66 



ERECTING WORK 



are of 6-inch stuff they will be stiff enough to hold 
whatever load is to come upon them. The wagon 
wheels should be blocked with a good big chock and 
the load slowly slid on. If there is a windlass on the 
wagon, the easiest way to move the load is, of course, 
to run a line back from the drum around the cylinder. 
The rope should be protected where it goes over and 
around sharp corners with old cloth or bagging, for it 




FIG. 6l 

is sharp corners that cut ropes. The cylinder will start 
without much of a pull on the rope and can be kept 
moving easily. A good stout rope or a small fall 
should be hitched to the back end of the cylinder to 
hold it back when it goes down the incline. Any part 
of the car, a stake hold, or some part of the under trus- 
sing, will answer for an anchorage for the head block, 
and one man with a turn or two about any convenient 
rail will hold and steady the piece down the hill. 



MOVING A CYLINDER 67 

It is a good plan, frequently a necessary precaution, 
to prop up the wagon where the end of the inclined 
stringers come. As the cylinder comes down the 
stringers, fully half and perhaps more of the weight is 
concentrated at that one point, while the truck will 
hold the load all right when spread out on the skids; 
it will not hold it when heaped right onto one spot. 
Two upright pieces of four by four resting on a plank 
on the ground will hold the wagon platform up stiff 
and strong. This precaution applies also when a jack 
is being used to raise one end, as in taking out or put- 
ting in rollers. Blocking on the axle is sometimes 
sufficient. In a case such as this, these are all the 
precautions necessary, for the load comes on at the 
back of the wagon and is nicely distributed all over 
its surface. 

Whenever any piece is loaded upon a spring wagon 
it must be remembered that the springs give. Some- 
times a weight has to be slid off over one front corner. 
If the front axle is provided with a platform spring 
there is a good chance of that corner going down and 
the load being dropped to the ground. No weight of 
any consequence ought to be slid either on or off a 
spring wagon's front end without first shoring up the 
two front corners. 

A cylinder may be well left upon its rollers when on 
the wagon. The rope leading to the windlass should 
still be fast upon it, taking two or three extra turns for 
safety, and it can be hauled over to the engine room 
in this way. 

It is an easy matter to take a cylinder off a wagon, 



68 ERECTING WORK 

whether the tops of foundations are high or low. If 
there is a fall down to the street level, an inclined run- 
way can be built from the tail end of the wagon, and 
the cylinder will roll down of its own accord with 
nothing but the rope from the windlass on the wagon 
to hold it from going too fast. Frequently the plat- 
form of such a wagon or truck slopes back to a low 
hind end. This makes unloading down to ground level 
all the easier, for it makes the corner, where there is a 
change in angle of descent, less sharp. 

Before letting a load come upon the engine room 
floor, in passing from threshold to foundation, with 
this cylinder, for instance, the floor timbers should be 
looked over. Many floors will not stand much load- 
ing, and in shoving machinery over a floor loads are 
liable to become concentrated at some weak spot. 
A weak floor must be shored up with sound and heavy 
timber. Ten by ten squares will answer in most 
basements, stood up on a good plank platform and 
coming up under a good thick piece, supporting two 
or three joists. Half a dozen such struts will stiffen 
up a good big area of floor. If the floor itself is light 
it can be covered with 2-in. plank. 

There is some science in steering a piece on rollers by 
getting the proper angle for the rollers. A weight on 
an angle roller will move, of course, square with the 
roller, and clearly enough it makes no difference as to 
the shape of the piece. Fig. 62 illustrates this point. 
The weight here will move square across the roller 
just as it does in Fig. 63. Friction itself prevents it 
from doing anything else, unless it is shoved over by 



MOVING A CYLINDER 



69 



some force acting not in the direction of proper motion. 
So a roller should be placed square with the direction 




FIG. 62 



in which it is intended to move the weight, and the 
friction of load upon roller and of roller upon plank will 
tend to make it take that direction when a force is 




FIG. 63 

applied. And it is nothing but friction that makes it 
take this direction. 
This matter becomes more complicated when there 



7o 



ERECTING WORK 



are two or more rollers. In Fig. 64 rollers are parallel, 
and the weight moves square with each. Fig. 65 gives 




FIG. 64 

a case commonly met with. The load is intended to 
bear off to the right and the front roller is cut around 
and the front end of the piece tends to move on a 
tangent to the right, while the rear end tries to keep 





O A/ 




FIG. 65 

on straight ahead. The piece itself is rigid, and, of 
course, something has got to slip. The slipping comes 



MOVING A CYLINDER 71 

where slipping is easiest. If there is an equal load on 
the two rollers the slipping divides itself equally 
between the two, unless one roller happens to be 
smoother than the other. In the case shown above, 
the motion of the whole thing is about half way be- 
tween these two directions, always providing the pull- 
ing force does not compel it to do something else. 
But the weight does not stay distributed equally 
more than an instant. As the load moves onward, 
more and more weight comes upon the front roller, 
relieving the rear roller, and the direction becomes 
more and more oblique, till the front roller has the 
entire weight and does all the guiding. It is possible 
in this way to make a weight turn quite a sharp corner. 
More pulling force will be needed, the load must move 
harder, for something has to provide the slipping force, 
and this may limit the shortest of the turn, for short 
turns pull hardest. 

The guiding becomes more difficult when the num- 
ber of rollers becomes greater, sometimes eight or ten 
or more on a long heavy load. It frequently happens 
on entering a cut roller, when there are only four rollers 
under in all, that no change in direction whatever 
takes place, even after the roller is some way under 
and has taken its load. The reason is, of course, that 
it is doing what it can, but the other rollers have three- 
quarters of the load, and they are determined that the 
thing shall keep on straight. So if a decided turn 
must be made, the direction of half the rollers should 
be changed. This can usually be done by striking 
at A, Fig. 65, with a heavy sledge or a timber ram. 



72 ERECTING WORK 

If, however, the roller does not yield readily, the load 
should be relieved at this point with a jack and the 
roller then pounded around. Usually when a roller 
cannot be pounded around with the Weight upon it, 
it will have some say in directing the load when the 
time comes to move. 

When a roller is cut around, one end will begin to 
roll under the load till finally that end is away under 
the nearest skid. The dotted line in Fig. 65 shows this. 
The other end will be sticking away out ready to catch 
door casings or anything else in the way, and must be 
moved back. A jack is needed here. For wherever 
a roller is pounded endwise with any force it starts to 
split. Such practise should not be allowed among a 
gang of men. It is easier, but half a dozen good clips 
will spoil the best roller ever turned. 

It is sometimes necessary to jack one end of a cylinder 
or other weight around, supposing, for instance, that one 
end is too near a door casing. It is enough to place 
the jack horizontally and the load will go around, pro- 
vided there is any weight upon the roller nearest the 
jack. If all the load is at the center, or even a good 
share of it, the piece simply turns about that center; 
one end goes out while the other comes in, and nothing 
is gained so far as a shove over is concerned. A good 
share of the load must be made to come where the jack 
is placed if it is desired to move one end only. This 
will be known by the relative looseness of the rollers 
at the unloaded end, and before trying to move over 
sideways, some load should be taken here by blocking 
up the rollers an inch, or whatever is necessary. 



MOVING A CYLINDER 



73 



There are always some gaps in the surface of a foun- 
dation. There must be one at least for the exhaust 
pipe, and frequently an opening is left under the slide. 
These spaces are 24 in. wide or so. Planks can be laid 
across for a footing for rollers and the surface made 
continuous temporarily. This is not necessary, how- 
ever. If the width of a space is less than one-half the 
length of the cylinder itself (not the overall length of 
the skids), it can be passed very nicely, at least with 
anything but the largest sizes of cylinders. The prin- 




FIG. 66 

ciple is that of the cantilever, and is shown in Fig. 66. 
The roller A does not drop down until roller B is just 
ready to catch its load. Rollers have to be watched, 
and rollers A and B should be good and sound, for on a 
wide gap they catch nearly the whole weight of the 
outfit, and if the load is too much for one roller the gap 
must be filled with blocking. 

By such methods as these may a cylinder be rolled 
to its place, its skids removed and lowered down to its 
capstones resting on some strips of iron, to allow of 
entering a wedge when the time comes. 



74 ERECTING WORK 

So also a slide section is hauled over on its skids; 
and the pillow-block section or main frame, the best of 
all to handle, for its weight is so low down and all six 
pieces may be strung along the foundation. 



VIII 

UNLOADING A HEAVY SHAFT 

Two equal and opposite unbalanced forces applied 
to a rigid body will make it turn about its center of 
gravity. So with a crank-shaft, skidded and lying on 
a flat car. But the forces must both be unbalanced; 
and it is easy to tell when they are unbalanced, for the 
shaft will not move until they are. When the forces 
are sufficient, as for instance, the forces or pull coming 
from two leads to a hoisting engine drum and one of its 
capstan heads, the shaft ends around just as if it were 
on a pivot. It looks a little mite unusual at first, and 
the awful consequences of a dropped shaft do loom 
up, but there is not a safer or handier way of ending a 
shaft around. (Fig. 67). It is not always necessary 
to end a shaft around, however, to get it off its car. 
Sometimes it can be slid off the end; and if the shaft 
must be hauled along in the direction of the track for a 
ways, it is better of course to take the shaft' off side- 
ways. Then new skids must be provided, lying be- 
neath and across the others. They are short and need 
not be very heavy, however; 10 X io's are heavy 
enough, or even three 8 X 8's at each end. This will 
mean a good deal of jacking, lifting the shaft straight 
up, for there are the ten inches of short skid, eight 

75 



7 6 



ERECTING WORK 



inches of roller and there should be three inches more 
for planks for the roller to go upon, for they will bind 
the cribbing to the car and can be taken out when the 




FIG. 67 

shaft has been moved over and is being raised again to 

straighten the rollers. The skids and rollers will appear 

as shown in Fig. 68 when the shaft is ready to move. 

It is apparent that great care should be used in plac- 



UNLOADING A HEAVY SHAFT 



77 




00 

vO 



o 

5 



78 ERECTING WORK 

ing jacks properly, and blocks should be so laid that 
they will take weight properly. In beginning to raise 
the shaft, the first hold is liable to be under one of the 
cranks, point A, Fig. 68. As pressure is brought on, 
the whole outfit should be watched to see that it all 
comes together square and even, that there is no tend- 
ency to slip or twist the jack, that its hold is good. 
Also the skids must be kept from spreading. If they 
are to be used more than once, long bolts should be 
run through from side to side with 8x8 cross braces 
to make things rigid. And one end only should be 
raised at a time. One end must rest solidly on block- 
ing while the other is resting upon a jack. Whenever 
any weight rests upon three points with its center of 
weight inside the three, it is stable; so there must be 
always three points of support. In this case the 
friction of the other two keeps the jack in place and 
upright. If things move along properly there is no 
reason why the jack under A cannot be pumped up 
high enough to allow a 4-in. plank to be placed 
under at point M, precisely under the skid blocking 
which comes up under the shaft. A 4-in. block 
would answer, but when the other end is jacked up, 
starting under the crank as before, the weight is thrown 
cornerwise on the square block and it tends to tip up. 
This is prevented by placing a good wide plank under 
at M. In all this jacking the weight should be fol- 
lowed up closely with inch pieces and wedges, having 
surface enough so that they will not crush. When 
both ends are up four inches, both resting upon plank, 
the two jacks can be brought to one end, their toes 



UNLOADING A HEAV¥ SHAFT 79 

placed at M, as nearly as may be, one on each side of 
the shaft, and things can be made to move faster. 
Eight inches can be gained at this one setting, or if 
the blocking seems all right, the jack can be shoved 
out to nearly its limit. It will take something more 
than plank to take the weight at the high end now. 
There are twelve inches to be blocked up and the prin- 
ciple of the cob house will have to be applied. Nothing 
could be more unstable than two 4-in. square blocks 
piled lengthwise one on top of the other, unless 
perhaps it be three such blocks. If they are depended 
upon to hold anything except weight, they are sure to 
topple over. If, however, two blocks, say six or eight 
inch, be laid lengthwise one on each side of each skid, 
two or three 2-in. plank laid across, the whole thing 
will make up the distance and allow the other end of 
the shaft to be raised. That end can be put right up 
to its place now, though it would be better to go only 
half way and bring the end up last from a 4-in. rise. 
The skids should, of course, not be allowed to rest 
upon a corner of a plank, with the whole weight of that 
end coming at that point. The outfit in coming up 
one end at a time must of course be out of level, and a 
platform of two planks or more, with wedges and inch 
pieces, should be used to give a bearing surface of 
ample area. This caution should be hardly necessary, 
for whenever too great a load is brought upon a piece 
of wood, it begins to yield slowly and there is ample 
time to strengthen up weak points if they are seen in 
time, and the most ordinary care will prevent serious 
mishaps from this cause. 



8o 



ERECTING WORK 



When the shaft is brought up level, twenty inches 
in the clear, or a little more, between skids and car 
floor, resting upon plank and blocking, one end can be 
raised with the two jacks at points M and its opposite, 
and the short skids X put in place, also the rollers and 
the plank on top of the car floor, and the shaft lowered 
to its place. Before stirring the other end the rollers 
should be blocked from moving when they are sup- 
posed to be standing still. Pieces of 2 X 4 stuff are 
handy for this purpose. Cut them into 2-ft. lengths 




FIG. 69 

and pare them down on one edge as in Fig. 69. 
These pieces will not slip. Both sides or at least two 
rollers should be securely blocked and a chock under 
every roller won't hurt. When one end is in proper 
position the other can be treated in the same way and 
the whole will appear as shown in Fig. 68. 

Enough rollers should be used to make an easy 
bearing surface for the whole. It is rarely that a roller 
will actually crush, due to an overload alone. But 
overloaded rollers will sink into the wood, top and 
bottom, and the weight will move five times as hard 
as it should. The more rollers the easier the thing 
moves and the less danger of mishap. An 8-in. roller 



UNLOADING A HEAVY SHAFT 81 

every eighteen inches is none too close on that heavy 
shaft. 

When things are ready, as shown in Fig. 68, it will 
be time to build a runway along the car, and some nice 
square blocks and good plank are needed. Also some 
good long sticks of 12-in. timber will help. A flat car 
floor is about five feet above the tops of the rails and a 
good, solid foundation of blocking must be laid even 
with the top of car floor and as long as the skids, level 
and square. This first section can, of course, have no 
pitch, and somewhat more blocking will be needed 
than would be necessary when taking a shaft off end- 
ways. Eight-inch square blocks are most convenient 
for such work. They are big enough to count up 
pretty fast in the piling and are not too heavy to lift. 
However, a big 16-in. chunk has virtues which are 
prized by the fraternity, and even a pile of railroad 
sleepers are valuable. The ground is the beginning 
of the pile and it is easy to provide a good starting 
surface. Ordinarily the ground in these places is 
pretty soft and muddy. In such cases the best way, 
where it can be done, is to dig down a little way, 
enough to remove all the material that would be 
powder if it were dry, till a firmer material is reached 
(six inches is usually deep enough), and make a trench 
wide enough for two sleepers side by side, square with 
the track. Do this in four places and this start will be 
solid enough to hold up any weight that can be hauled 
on a railroad car. Long timbers are now needed. 
The whole length of the shaft skids will be about 16 ft. 
and timbers of this length are very convenient for the 



82 ERECTING WORK 

bottom of the block pile. Two 12 X 12 or three 10 
X 10 of this length will make a good solid start. 
Lighter timbers may be used, but they should be sup- 
ported often enough to make them good and stiff. 
The sleepers in the trench should be level and bear all 
over on their bottom faces, while the tops may come 
up an inch or so above the ground. The long timbers 
are laid directly upon these sleepers, stringing out 
parallel with the car and as far from it as convenient, 
say eighteen inches or two feet, to the nearer one. 
Now two sections of 8-in. square blocks can be started, 
so that the over all lengths will be a little more than the 
whole length of the skids, and two piles cob housed up 
to make a support for the top stringers. The stringers 
can be supported in at least four places and the longest 
span need not be over six feet, and only one-half the 
weight of the shaft can possibly come on this section, 
and even then the load will net come in the center. 
So three 12 X 12's or even three 10 X io's will answer 
for the top stringers. Lighter timbers may be used, 
or even good sound plank laid one on top of another, 
but in these cases more supports should be used and a 
smaller crib built up between the other two. 

The top planks lying across car body and blocking 
should be supported as often as possible. 

The blocking will appear now as shown in Figs. 70 
and 71. 

When this first section of blocking is finished as 
shown in the figures, the shaft may be moved over and 
the car cleared. It will take considerable force to 
move it. A rope fall, or two or three chain falls, will 



UNLOADING A HEAVY SHAFT 



83 



furnish enough power, but it is usually not convenient 
to provide a fixed and rigid point for fastening the head 
block. A freight car will answer, or a good stiff piece 
of track, a frog for instance, but it will not pay to 




FIG. 70 



locate a dead man for such a short pull. The most 
convenient tool for this work is a pair of stone jacks. 
Any kind of a jack can be made to answer, a screw 
jack, or even some of the patent ratchet jacks, but 




FIG. 71 



nothing fits as well as the stone jack, and the stoi>e 
jack will be a help all through the work. There is very 
little friction in its moving under load, at least in com- 
parison with the screw jack, for there is so little rub- 



84 ERECTING WORK 

bing, nothing but a train of gears held by a ratchet 
and pawl. The thing is as efficient as a compound 
hand winch. When two 6-ton stone jacks are used, 
one man at each end can make that shaft walk over 
very handily. The jacks will hold very well at an 
angle of 45 deg. ; the more nearly to a horizontal posi- 
tion they are placed, the easier will the jack move. 
The foot will not slip at that angle, but if as the shaft 
moves onward the foot of the jack does not seem to 
hold well, a piece of 2 X 4 spiked to the car floor will 
answer, and it is easy to make two feet or more at each 
setting of the jack. The force required to move such 
a piece under these conditions is a small matter. It is 
easy to put two men on a jack. The time is used up 
in getting ready. If much space has been left between 
the car body and the pile of blocking it is well to keep 
the load off that point. It will be enough, however, 
to have a roller ready just before the advancing side 
gets across, and to place no roller in the middle of the 
space when the skid ends reach that point. The rollers 
already under need not be disturbed, for the load will 
be very well distributed before much of it comes here. 
The shaft over, preparation can be made for taking 
away the rollers, plank and cross skids, and the new 
row of rollers put under, ready for the straightaway 
pull. The shaft is some 12 in. or more higher than it 
need be and must be lowered carefully to its proper 
bed. It will be found easiest to begin at the back 
end, for that end need be lowered very little if at all. 
The runway starts down an inclined plane, and if the 
front end only is lowered, the sharp corner where the 



UNLOADING A HEAVY SHAFT 85 

track turns down will be avoided. There is consider- 
able spring in the timber of skids and blocking, enough 
to pass by a good deal of unevenness. But that slant- 
ing track will start off at a pitch of one in five or so, 
and if the shaft were pushed on over this there would 
come an increasing load on the main skids as their 
center approached the corner, till finally the whole 
load would come at that point and the skids must 
break. That trouble can be avoided, as already 
pointed out. 

The best place for the jacks is at point X (Fig. 68) 
and its mate opposite; foot of jack on the plank, over 
a good column of blocking, and the toes under the 
cross skid at X. A short rise will clear the other two 
planks, two cross skids and all the rollers at that end. 
Now the aim will be to build an inclined run, the high 
end eight inches below the bottom of the skids, just 
the diameter of a roller, and the low end just to cross 
the end G, Fig. 70. Only a short section can be built, 
for the blocks at the front end will be in the way, but it 
must be started now. The two 8 X 8's will answer 
for the top stringers, and an 8 X 8 with a short piece 
of plank will answer for block at the high end, and 
thinner stuff for the other end. The slope is gradual 
enough so that no trouble will be found in providing 
proper support for rollers. The roller farthest back 
should be placed at N, or at least not as far back as X, 
for this roller is to answer for a turning point in lower- 
ing the other end; but beginning there, cross rollers 
should be distributed about every 18 in. down the in- 
cline and chocked there in place. 



86 ERECTING WORK 

For lowering the front end place the jacks at point 
K and its opposite on top of the 3-in. plank and under 
the 8-in. cross piece. Two planks, two blocks and 
all rollers will be made free. The cross plank at K 
will remain, but need not be in the way. The block 
K will have to come out later and a roller put in its 
place, but it gives a good hold for the present for the 
jacks. Now the incline should be finished to point G 
of blocks and plank, and a roller placed and chocked 
at Z, and more rollers strung out to cover the skids. 

Lower on the jacks now and the shaft rests on a row 
of chocked rollers and a square block at K. It will 
be time to stretch out a small fall now, one inch or one 
and a quarter inches will answer, with a set of three 
sheave blocks for holding back on the shaft as it goes 
down the incline. It will not take a great force to 
hold the shaft, not nearly as much as would start it, 
of course, but hold backs are needed to avoid the outfit 
going down hill too fast. If the incline is short, two 
such falls should be used. Fasten the head blocks to a 
string of freight cars, if they are convenient, or to a 
track, though the falls should be long if they are to pull 
on the track, for of course the tendency is to lift the 
track. One frieght car would hold it down, however. 
Two or three turns with the leading line about some 
convenient fixed point, with one man to hold back, 
will answer for this end of the work. 

The runway shown in Fig. 72 should be built now 
of the longest timber to be had, for 25 ft. is none too 
long for this slope. If long timbers are not to be had, 
shorter ones will answer, placed end to end. Timber 



UNLOADING A HEAVY SHAFT 



87 



88 ERECTING WORK 

laid directly upon the surface of the ground will answer 
for foundation here, with cob housing as shown in the 
cut. Support io-in. timbers every five feet and 
12-in. every seven or eight at the very least. Ease 
off the bottom hollow with tapering block and plank 
as shown, Fig. 72. 

The jacks should be placed under the skids now and 
the block at K removed and a roller put in its place, 
all chocks removed and the shaft is ready to go down 
hill. Start it off with a push from behind with the 
stone jacks, and she can be kept moving as fast as the 
men on the falls holding back, slack off their hold. 
The movement should be slow. But with rollers 
placed square and true, the shaft will slide down to 
the ground without trouble. 



IX 

RIGGING FOR A HEAVY LIFT 

Hauling a 65-ton shaft up an incline of one in six or 
one in eight will call for considerable force, fully 
double what is needed to make a move on level track, 
for, of course, the lifting takes its full share of the 
resistance. So the rope and rigging must be stronger, 
multiplying the prime force by two or more. The 
whole moving force at the shaft may be 12 or 14 tons 
for a long slope and force acting parallel with slope, 
approaching 16 or more as the slope becomes steeper. 
If this force runs higher than 16 tons, however, it will 
usually be found more convenient to raise the pieces 
straight up with jacks. 

In lashing blocks for rope falls to a load such as this, 
they should be applied at the point where the resistance 
to onward motion comes as nearly as may be. The 
line of resistance in moving up an incline is not through 
the center of gravity of the piece, and is not in the line 
of shaft at all. It is away down to the very bottom 
surface of the skids, just on top of the rollers. Imag- 
ine the effect of a force pulling along the line of the 
shaft's center in Fig. 73. If the force were great 
enough the shaft would have to come, but what must 
happen to the skids, even if they were on rollers? 

89 



9° 



ERECTING WORK 



The whole moving force, whatever it might be, would 
be trying to make the skids take the shape shown in 
Fig. 74. There is nothing to make the skids themselves 
move except the force which comes down through the 




FIG. 73 



pile of cross timber and the effect is the same as would 
come were two forces precisely equal, and each enough 
to move the weight applied as shown at A and B, 
Fig. 74. It is clear that as these two forces approach 




FIG. 74 



each other, that is as A is applied lower down, the 
twisting effect becomes less and less and when A gets 
right down to the skids there is no twisting force 



RIGGING FOR A HEAVY LIFT 



9 1 



whatever. So lashing should be so rigged that the 
pull will come down low, and the most convenient 
point will be at CC, Fig. 73. 

In order to lash the block securely to this load, at 
least four turns of one and one-half inch rope should 
be used, and more, even six will not be much out of 
proportion. This will give eight or more hauling parts 
but they are not, of course, pulling in the direction of 
motion and this whole strength is reduced in propor- 
tion to the shortness of the hitch. Long hitches are 
best, if there is none too much rope handy, and the 
lashing is bound about something that spreads the 
parts of the lashing out wide, as Fig. 73 will do. 

A great many rope blocks will not take in four parts 
of one and one-half inch rope in the hook. Most blocks 
are defective in this respect. There is not room enough 
in the hook or clevis to take in rope enough to equal 
the strength of the fall itself. When this is the case, 
it is best to have a link or clevis forged that will take in 
plenty of lashing and big and stout enough to stand 
hard usage. The rope block may be hooked into this 
link. Also the hook itself should be looked at. These 
hooks are frequently weak. A clevis is better and 
stronger, though not always as convenient. On any 
heavy pull the hook should be bound with marline to 
stiffen it up, as shown in Fig. 75. This will help 
enormously in preventing the hook from straightening 
out, as shown in Fig. 76. It is a good plan to make a 
clamp, as shown in Fig. 77, to bolt on, which may 
make a hook almost as stout as a clevis. 

A single rope fall for one and one-quarter inch rope, 



9 2 



ERECTING WORK 



rove through three and two sheave blocks will not be 
strong enough to haul such a shaft as this up the hill. 
Two falls of this size will answer very well, however, 





fig. 75 



FIG. 76 



but the rope should be in prime condition for such a 
pull. There is always one difficulty in getting two 
falls to do the work of one, which must be guarded 
against. If two falls each had an independent hitch 
to a load and their hauling lines are led to separate 
hand winches, it is easy to see that there is no way of 
dividing the load equally, or even approximately 

. rfV 




FIG. 77 



equal between the two. So long as one was kept up 
taut, with no slack and perhaps a little load, it would 
appear just like the other which has the full load. 
Some idea may be had, to be sure, by taking a line in 



RIGGING FOR A HEAVY LIFT 



93 



the hand, as to how much load it has, but this cannot 
be depended upon for halving a load up. A fall should 
always be tested in that way, however, when the 
amount of the load is at all uncertain. But if the load 
is so much that it seems best not to have much over 
one-half of it on each of two falls, some way of equal- 
ing things up must be devised. Fig. 78 shows an easy 




TO HEAD BLOCK 
AND WINCH 



FIG. 78 



way which is the principle of the evener on a two- 
horse wagon. One fall must have about the same 
load as the other if the cross timber is kept anywhere 
near square. 

If there are to be many heavy pulls, it is of course 
more convenient to have one good heavy fall of 2-in. 
rope, two inches in diameter. It is always best in 
ordering rope to specify whether the measurement 
refers to circumference or to diameter. Some riggers 
and ship chandlers always speak of a size as referring 
to circumference, while an engineer always thinks of 
diameter. And again, rope is sometimes ordered by 



94 



ERECTING WORK 



the circumference, three-inch, for instance, when a nice 
light fall of inch-diameter rope is wanted, and the next 
day a dray backs up with a hawser stout enough for a 
man-of-war. In the articles relating to this subject a si{e 
refers to the diameter. Six parts of 2-in. rope will be 
good for 40 tons on work such as this. Inch and one- 
quarter rope is spoken of here more often because it 
is a convenient size to handle and is still stout enough 
for heavy work. 

If two falls are used on this load, there will be 
needed a hauling force on the leading ropes of about 
one ton, which may be furnished by the hand winches, 
or by luff tackles. 

When a load is being hauled up an incline, the 
rollers must be followed closely with chocks to prevent 
the piece running down in case of a break in the rigging 
pulling ahead. Any one rope breaking of course lets 
the whole load back. And the chocks should be good 
big chunks. A load will go over an inch piece if it has 
a trifling start; more than one roller should be chocked. 
A man on each side with a chock in each hand taking 
in both ends of two rollers which have a good load on 
them will not be an over caution. 

When a shaft has been hauled up in front of its 
pillow-blocks, as shown in Fig. 73, the easy part of 
the work is finished. There is less room to work in 
then, and there will be much for the jacks to do. 
The piece must be raised to the position shown in Fig. 
79, high enough for everything to clear when the shaft 
is rolled over. If the generator frame parts in a hori- 
zontal plane, the shaft must go up till the bottom 



RIGGING FOR A HEAVY LIFT 



95 



circumference of the armature clears the top of the 
lower half frame. This may require the whole shaft 
to go up so that its center is nearly seven feet above 
the tops of the foundation, or four feet higher than it 
will be when in place. And it will have to be raised 
some three feet higher than it is when lying on skids 
and rollers. 




fig. 79 

It is possible to raise the shaft up clear of the skids, 
resting it upon blocking, and by taking the skids apart 
they may be pulled out of the way. But it is usually 
easier to let the shaft lie in the skids and raise the 
whole thing together. This will save a good deal of 
blocking nearly half of the whole amount needed in 
raising, and is quite as easy. The two jacks should be 
taken to one end of the skids, one on each side with 
toes under the point where the cross blocking comes. 



96 ERECTING WORK 

One end goes up at a time, and a cob house pile of 
8-in. blocks four high will usually be enough, the skids 
resting fair and level on such a pile at each end. 

The next question will be in getting the shaft out 
of its seat on the skids and onto a run reaching over 
tops of pillow-block jaws, and coming up fair under 
what is to be the shaft journals. Now, one jack must 
be placed with its foot resting on a block laid across 
the skids, and with its top coming up under a saddle 
like that shown in Fig. 80, under the shaft. The jack 




FIG. 80 

may be placed either in front of the pile of cross block 
or behind it. There is usually more room behind it. 
Care must be used here for there is nothing but friction 
to prevent the shaft from turning over and knocking 
the jack out; so jacks must be placed precisely under 
the center line of shaft on such lifts as these, and the 
opening coming over the seat of the shaft must be 
filled up closely with blocking. Inch pieces and 
wedges must be shoved in wherever there is a chance. 
A piece of 2-in. plank should be shaped up as shown 
in Fig. 81 for each end. These will be used in lowering 
the shaft too, and will be the start of the blocking 
when raising out of the wooden seat. Two-inch pieces 
piled one piece atop of another will fill the hollow in 
the top block as the shaft goes up. One end, of course, 
must go up at a time, and it is best to make short lifts 



RIGGING FOR A HEAVY LIFT 97 

and keep the shaft pretty nearly level, for extreme 
care must be used here. 
The shaft must go high enough to allow 12-in. timbers 




to pass under, as shown in Fig. 82, side by side, and 
these timbers are to reach away across and rest on block- 
ing on top of the pillow-block jaws. If 12-in. timber is 
not to be had, 4-in. plank may be used, stiffened up as 




FIG. 82 



shown in Fig. 79, and two or three piles made. The 
number and size of plank and blocking will depend upon 
the length of span. The load is concentrated at a sin- 



98 ERECTING WORK 

gle point here and allowance should be made accord- 
ingly. If two 12-in. timbers are laid side by side at 
each end, they should be supported about every three 
feet, either with a block or with a good solid stud. 

No great force will be required to start the shaft 
rolling over and moving toward its bearings. It should 
be started square, for it is not easy to slide one end 
ahead to even things up. Five or six turns of inch 
and one-half lashing may be wrapped about one of 
the cranks and one end of the lashing hooked onto the 
hauling tackle which has its leading line going to the 
winding drum of the winch, as in Fig. 83. The other 




FIG. 83 

end of the lashing may hook into a smaller fall for 
holding back and preventing things from going too 
fast, also for making the lashing bite onto the crank 
and not slip round. The small fall has its line take a 
turn or two about a post, and is paid out by one man 
who can check all rolling instantly. As the shaft 
approaches the point squarely over its bearings, checks 
should be ready to hold it in place ready for the jacks. 
When the shaft is over and ready to be lowered to 
place, it will do no harm to lead off lines from both 
cranks, as shown in Fig. 83. These will prevent the 
shaft from rolling while resting on a jack. The cradle, 



RIGGING FOR A HEAVY LIFT 



99 



Fig. 80, should be used for a support on top of the jacks 
as the surface which should fit pretty well will tend 
to keep the jack in place. 

Considerable more than one-half the weight of the 
shaft will come on the jacks now, for they are so near 
the center of the shaft length. As a solid footing 
must be provided, one side may be blocked up from 
the generator foundation and will require only a small 




FIG. 84 

amount of blocking. Sometimes both sides may be 
fixed in this way. If, however, the opening is too 
deep, it is better to stand two 10 X 10 upright col- 
umns braced to the foundation, with a good block 
for a bolster on top. Then a cob house pile of block 
may be built resting partly on the bolster and partly on 
the top of the foundation, extending across the gap 
for fly-wheel and generator as shown in Fig. 84. There 



IOO 



ERECTING WORK 



is just about room enough for a jack at each end, and 
the blocking is all done from the frame itself. The 
first aim is to get rid of the long timbers, the skids 
and all loose blocking which is spread about now in 
quantity and a trifling raise will free all this stuff. 
Only one end rests it weight on a jack at a time, and 
only a thin block can be removed at one time, for of 




FIG. 85 

course the crank checks will bind on the frame faces 
if one end is much lower than the other. Some blocks 
should be cut of length to fit nicely within the jaws of 
the frame, as shown in Fig. 85. Before the shaft is 
finally settled, while up about an inch above its seat, 
all dirt should be carefully blown out. Then the final 
lowering may come and the jaws filled with waste and 
bagging to keep out everything that can cut a bearing. 



BUILDING UP A FLY-WHEEL 

A man will not boast very much of his work on the 
fly-wheel if it takes over a day to get all the section in 
place with enough bolts driven in to hold the thing 
together over night. Sometimes, it does take longer 
than this if the rigging is not all ready, and particularly 
if there is some fitting to be done. The man who does 
get through in a day is entitled to a moderate boast. 
His speed depends upon the rigging he gets up to handle 
the sections; there are eight or more, and it pays to 
get up something which can be handled quickly. 
The sections will come in the door and be rolled up in 
front of the shaft on their rollers lying flat upon the 
floor in the position shown in Fig. 86. All this work 
has been done with crow-bar and winch with perhaps 
a little jacking. When the section is once up off the 
ground four or five inches it is not a bad piece to handle. 
It must be lifted up, turned and shoved in between 
the hub cheeks, and some stout lashing should be pro- 
vided for this work. The first hitch will be shown in 
Fig. 86. It is not intended to lift the section here, 
but simply to stand it up ready for the lifting hold. 
Not over one-half the whole weight need come on the 
lashing here and the piece may be made to take the 



102 



ERECTING WORK 




position shown in Fig. 87. A 10X10 gin pole with a 
good head block furnishes the overhead rigging and 
six parts of one and one-quarter inch rope will answer 




FIG. 87 



for the hoisting tackle. No lashing used as a sling on 
these heavy sections should be lighter than one and 



BUILDING IT A FLY WHEEL 



I03 



one-half inches in diameter. A single sling of that 
size has all it should do in lifting half of this weight. 

The piece will stand by itself when in the position 
shown in Fig. 87, and the hitch may be shifted for the 
final lift. The easiest way of taking hold of a segment 
is shown in Fig. 88, but stout rope will be required. 




Two parts of 2-in. rope will lift this section, but the 
rope must be new and in prime condition. It is safe 
then to go as here shown. The arm will not hang 
horizontally for the center of gravity of the piece is 
near the point C so the line A B will be vertical. This 
will do very well for swinging the weight on the gin 



104 ERECTING WORK 

pole by letting in and out on the guy falls. The arm 
may be lifted with a light fall or a chain tackle to bring 
it up horizontal, approximately, and the section is 
ready to enter. It should of course be seen to that 
the piece goes up fairly vertical and does not cant 
over very much. A little twist can be taken out by 
shoving a bar into one of the bolt holes, but not much 
force should be required here. The hitch itself should 
be made central. The section is swung up ready to 
enter by letting off on the back guy. It should enter 
a little way of its own accord. It may not, and prob- 
ably will not, slide away down to its place by itself, 
but it should enter without forcing. There is no need 
•of the fit being very tight. It is not a bad plan to 
caliper both arms and space before trying to enter 
at all; but it is not always worth while. 

Some judgment must be used in pounding the arm 
home. The tackle holding the weight should be swung 
forward a little so that its tendency is to help the 
piece in. Then two men with a block weighing 1 50 lbs. 
swinging it as a ram, ought to be able to send the piece 
in by striking at D. It is easy to get up more force 
than this with heavier timber and more men, or even 
to rig up a jack. But if the arm starts in tight it will 
be a very difficult matter to force it out again. It is 
better to file the faces of the arm and ease things up a 
little. The surface is a large one to file over, and must 
be kept true; but there is usually not much to come 
off for the arms have been in there once, and if they 
enter hard the second time it is because the cheeks 
may be a trifle closer together this time. If the arm 



BUILDING UP A FLY-WHEEL 105 

binds a little, it is sometimes possible to make it slide 
home by raising and lowering a little on the main 
tackle, enough to give it a new position. As soon as 
one of the holes comes in place the first bolt must be 
put in, and the other two follow by turning on that 
one as a center. The bolts themselves will fit tight, 
but may be driven in with blows from a sledge. But 
in driving the bolt should be watched, for if one binds 
it is not easily gotten out. A sledge alone will not 
start it, and it is frequently almost impossible to apply 
a jack to any purpose. Cases have been known where a 
tight bolt part way in had to be drilled out with a 
ratchet. Jobs of that kind take days and tie up all 
other work on the wheel in the bargain. The bolts 
and holes both may caliper all right, but sometimes 
the hole is not perfectly straight. The progress of 
the bolt must be noted as it is driven in. It is possible 
to tell with almost certainty whether the bolt is grow- 
ing tighter and tighter as it advances. 

When one section is in place and all three bolts are 
in their holes with nuts slack, it is possible to save 
some time by choosing the best section to put in next. 
So far as the amount of work in putting in the sections 
themselves is concerned, it makes no difference. The 
difference comes in in the number of times a wheel 
must be turned over and the amount of force necessary 
to do it. The most natural way is to take one section 
after another, in order, leaving only one section as a 
fill-in to complete at the last. This method places 
less stress than any other does on hub bolts and hub 
casting. The great objection is that the whole weight 



106 ERECTING WORK 

practically of three sections will have to be lifted at 
one time by the rigging in turning the wheel. This 
will be apparent from Fig. 90, which shows a wheel 
with eight arms. The section marked 1 is put in and 
lowered on to a block or a timber across the front face 
of the foundation. No. 2 is put in, and then both 
2 and 3 have to be raised before the block can be 
taken out to let those sections down and out of the 
way. This is again true of 1, 2 and 3, before No. 4 
can go in, and this same heavy lift is again encountered 




FIG. 



by the fall on the other side of the wheel when the sixth 
section is put in. Each section does help to hold its 
neighbor, however, for they may be clamped together 
with a temporary bolt, as shown at the right of Fig. 
89, and the load is distributed as well as it can be. 
The links are not put in till all sections are in place, 
but it is plain that the weight of No. 3 is partly borne 
by 2 and 1, thus relieving the shearing load on its bolts. 
In lifting these three sections or two and a half, per- 
haps, for the whole weight of No. 1 is not lifted, though 



BUILDING UP A FLY-WHEEL 



107 



the friction of the shaft about makes this up, it is clear 
that the hitch should not be made on the arm or the 
rim of No. 3. No. 1 is the arm to pull on. As an 
offset against these heavy lifts come the short dis- 
tances of movement and the lifts are short. For 
this method two rigs are needed, one on each side of 
the wheel, that is, at opposite ends of a horizontal 
diameter and each capable of lifting three sections. 




It is possible to decrease this load if the arms are 
not too heavy in proportion to the size of the bolts, 
and can safely be hung out straight and horizontal 
from the hub, bringing of course a twisting load which 
must be resisted by the shearing resistance of the three 
bolts and their crushing strength. On many wheels 
the bolts are ample for this, and if the rim is of the 



io8 ERECTING WORK 

steel-plate rim style, the bolts are more than adequate. 
The method is shown in Fig. 90. The principle is to 
let the heavy part of the wheel go down and stay 
there. The rigging must be stout enough to lift one 
section and at the same time turn the wheel, and one 
set of rigging must be used on each side of the wheel 
as before. The sections are all put in in the position 
marked 1 and the first section Jakes the position as 
shown in the figures on the outer circumference in the 
figure. Also the figure shows the position of the 
sections when any number of them are in. For in- 
stance, when there are four sections in they take the 
position marked A 4 and move to position A 5 when 
number 5 has gone in. This will be more apparent in 
Fig. 91. 

The first piece is put in as shown in A and can be 
lowered to the bottom position shown in B. Its own 
weight takes it there and the fall in front of the wheel 
is slowly lowered off till the rotation stops of its own 
accord in the best place for sliding in section No. 2 
as shown in B. Now the first fall is slaked again and 
the wheel stops again in the best position for the third 
section, leaving a gap precisely at the bottom as shown 
at C. The fall is again slacked off, but this time the 
wheel does not roll far enough to allow the fourth sec- 
tion to enter, and it must be helped out by the fall back 
of the wheel, though the latter will not have to lift as 
much as a whole section. Now in D there are two 
sections on one diameter which balance each other, 
and as the front fall is let off the other two sections 
govern the position the wheel will assume. It will not 






BUILDING UP A FLY-WHEEL 



109 








o 

M 
P"4 





i 



no ERECTING WORK 

roll quite far enough for the fifth piece, and a little 
load will have to be taken by the back fall, when the 
section will make the wheel appear as shown at E. 
In order to get in place for No. 6 the back fall now will 
have to lift a whole section, for in the position shown 
at F the wheel is in balance, and before No. 6 throws 
in its weight, the section directly opposite must be 
held by the back fall. A full section will rest in the 
back fall when No. 7 is put in as shown at G, but as 
soon as No. 7 is in the wheel is again in balance. The 
back fall now rolls the wheel on lifting one full section 
and the last piece is slid in place. 



XI 



THE ERECTION OF HIGH-SPEED CENTER- 
CRANK ENGINES 1 

The high-speed center-crank engine, with which 
this article deals, is seldom sold in sizes greater than 
200 horse-power. It is very well standardized as to 
design and the cost of even the best makes is com- 
paratively small, so that the cost of erection, when 
this is done by an erector from the maker's shop, 
forms a large percentage of the total cost of the engine 
ready to run. The railroad fare and living expenses 
of the shopman are usually more than the actual 
expenses of erection, particularly when but one engine 
is installed. 

To avoid this unnecessary expense it is quite com- 
mon for the purchaser's engineer to erect the engine 
and it is the purpose of this article to give clear and 
concise directions for so doing. The method given 
is that used by most professional erectors. It should 
be borne in mind that the various makes differ some- 
what as to details, but the erection as a whole is prac- 
tically the same for all makes. 

We will suppose that the foundation has been built 
with due regard to alinement with the machine to be 

1 Contributed to Power by H. V. Hunt and C. G. Robbins. 



112 ERECTING WORK 

driven, if the engine is belted, or, if direct-coupled, 
with the building or other predetermined point; that 
its top presents an even surface, and that the anchor 
bolts have sufficient clearance around them to allow 
for any small inaccuracy in setting them. Also that 
the engine has been brought from the railroad and 
placed on the engine-room floor. This is usually a 
truckman's job and is contracted for a lump sum. 
Most engines of this type are provided with a subbase 
or foundation-box under the frame, high enough to 
allow the wheels to clear the floor by a few inches. 
Whatever leveling or alining is to be done to set the 
engine must be done to this box, for when it is set the 
whole engine is set. 

The foundation-box will be left on blocks or rollers 
and can be moved directly over its place on the founda- 
tion, so that the anchor bolts line up fairly well with 
their respective holes, blocking being used so that the 
bottom of the box is about i in. above the ends of the 
bolts. It is seldom that the bolts are so set that they 
enter the holes without some little difficulty. The 
easiest way to place the box is to remove some of the 
blocking until the box rests on the ends of the bolts, 
leaving the remainder of the blocking about ^-in. below 
the bolt tops. 

Then when the holes are pushed or driven over they 
will not spring back, and when the bolts are fair with 
the holes the box drops down over them to the block- 
ing i-in. below. At first sight it appears that the 
threads would be injured, but it seldom happens that 
they are marred in the least. After the box has been 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 



JI 3 



lowered until it rests upon 2-in. planks, the leveling 
bolts or wedges can be put in and the planks removed. 
The foundation-box can now be leveled and alined. 

Locate on the machined top flange of the box the 
center line of the engine and the center line of shaft, 
making the marks good and sharp with a scribe or 
penknife, as shown in Fig. 92. 




FIG. 92 

If the engine is to be belted, find the distance E y 
Fig. 93, from the center line of the engine to the center 
line of the driving-wheel. Knowing the relation that 
this line and the shaft center line must bear to the 
driven machine, a convenient and accurate method of 
alinement must be found. That in Fig. 93 is very 
good. It represents the case of alining to a shaft. 
Attach a fine line to a convenient point A on the shaft, 



ii4 



ERECTING WORK 



extending the line to any convenient point a beyond 
the engine. Square the line with the shaft by the well- 
known triangle of 6, 8 and io; that is, measure out 
from A 6 ft. on the shaft to point C, 8 ft. on the line to 
point B, and move the end a of the line until the dis- 
tance B C measures exactly io ft. The line is then 
square with the shaft. 

























b 


o 







£ 




-f- 




-— - - 






E 
1 


i 


c 




p 


o 

















F 

l 

! 


--I---, L-„ i 




1 — 4*- f F 


p 
i 














B 8' A 



fig. 93 

Measure the distance D from the line to the center of 
the driven pulley and move the foundation-box over 
until the distance F at each end is exactly equal to the 
sum of the two measurements D and E. The engine 
is then in line with the driven pulley and square with 
the shaft; the belt-center distance G is not important, 
any inaccuracy being taken up by the belt. If the 
engine is direct-connected to a pump or generator the 
foundation-box can be set accurately enough for all 
practical purposes by direct measurements from the 
building or other given point to either of the center 
lines on the box. 

For leveling the box, use a level which is accurate 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 115 

and fairly sensitive, an iron body level being preferable. 
Place the level parallel with each center line, thus 
leveling both ways, and make the necessary adjust- 
ments with the wedges or adjusting screws under the 
box. 

After the box is set, leveled and alined it is always 
advisable to check up all the measurements, as any 
errors are more easily corrected now than later. 

If these measurements are all correct, the box is 
ready to be grouted. For this use a mixture of 1 part 
Portland cement and 1 part sand, moistened enough 
to pack well; or the mixture may be made thin enough, 
by the addition of water, to be poured. If it is desired 
to pour the grouting, make a dam of clay around the 
outside of the box, about 1 in. outside of the lower 
flange, and pour the grout from the inside of the box 
until it completely fills the space between the founda- 
tion and the flange of the box. After this is set, it is 
a good plan to fill the box to a depth of about 6 in. 
with a mixture of 1 part cement, 2 parts sand and 3 
parts broken stone. This prevents the drum-like noise 
sometimes produced by the large hollow box and in 
addition securely locks the engine in place. This is 
especially desirable where the engine is belted, pre- 
venting any twisting from the pull of the belt. After 
making sure that the oil catcher and oil hole are clean 
the box is ready for the engine frame. The frame can 
be brought alongside the box and blocked up, raising 
one end at a time, until it is a little higher than the top 
of the box. An old rail or a 6x6 in. iron-shod timber, 
well oiled, should now be placed under each end of the 



n6 



ERECTING WORK 



frame; one end resting on the foundation-box, the other 
on the blocking under the frame, as in Fig. 94. The 
frame can then be easily slid sidewise until it is directly 
over the box. After making sure that the surfaces are 
clean and that there are no burrs or rough places on 
either box or frame, it can be lowered until it rests on 
the top of the box. 



-^u 




FOUNDATION 
BOX 



I 



\ 



FIG. 94 



Usually the frame is held to the box by bolts tapped 
into the latter. Alinement with the box is provided 
for in the shop either by making two diagonally opposite 
bolts a reamed fit, or by dowel-pins fitting tightly 
into holes in the box and frame. Some makers use 
anchor bolts extending up through the box and frame 
thus doing away with the tap bolts between frame 
and box; in such cases dowel-pins are used to line the 
frame to the box. In any case the dowel-pins or 
reamed bolts should be securely in place before the 
other bolts are tightened. 

It will be found safer and easier to hoist the shaft 
and cylinder from overhead if means can be found to 
suspend chain blocks or rope tackle at the proper 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 



Hy 



points. If there are no conveniences in the building 
a good gallows frame rig can be made as in Fig. 95. 
For ordinary work, the uprights and cross-beam may 
be made of 6x6-in. timbers and the bottom pieces of 




FIG. 95 

3-in. plank. Chain blocks of sufficient capacity for 
the weight are hung from the center of the cross-piece, 
and i^-in. pipe rollers will allow the necessary move- 
ment. 

For belted engines, the gallows frame should be wide 



n8 



ERECTING WORK 



enough to clear the shaft; but in direct-connected 
engines, where the shaft is four or five feet longer, it is 
not necessary to make it so wide. 

Figure 96 shows the frame in use in placing a shaft. 




FIG. 96 

The shaft is lifted by a rope sling around the crank-pin, 
raised until it is high enough to clear the bearings, and 
the gallows frame is rolled back until the shaft is over 
the bearings, when it is lowered into place. Before 
lifting any of the weight of the shaft, a block or pin 
must be placed between the disks to prevent the over- 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 



119 



hanging weight of the shaft from springing the disks 
together. For this purpose a i£-in. bolt with a nut, 
just long enough to go between the disks, may be used. 
The bolt is slipped into place and the nut backed off 
just enough to take the strain and to wedge the bolt 
tightly in place. This bolt is shown in Fig. 96. A 
block of wood or a piece of iron or pipe wedged tightly 
between the disks will of course answer the same pur- 
pose. 

Another way to put in the shaft is shown by Fig? 97. 




FIG. 97 

Here a 6x6-in. or an 8x8-in. timber is put under each 
end of the shaft and the shaft is securely held in place 
on these timbers by "chocks" or stops. Each end of 
the timbers is then alternately raised by levers or 
jacks, and followed up by blocking until the shaft is 
at the proper hight, as shown. The chocks can then 
be removed, the shaft rolled to a point directly over 
the bearings, and, by removing the blocking, lowered 
into place. This is a very convenient method for 
placing the long armature shaft of a direct-connected 
engine. 



120 



ERECTING WORK 



After the shaft is lowered into place the quarter- 
boxes, if there are any, should be put into place and 
adjusted to bear against the shaft. The exposed part 
of the shaft should then be coated with a mixture of 
lamp-black and oil, and the shaft be rolled around. 
This blacking will be rubbed off the shaft on the bear- 
ings at the high points. The shaft should be lifted, the 
quarter-boxes removed, and the bearings scraped to a 
perfect fit. The caps and quarter-boxes should be 
fitted and scraped in the same manner, and thin liners 
should be used under the caps to prevent pinching or 
binding the shaft. 




FIG. 98 

The engine is now ready for the cylinder. This may 
be put on with the gallows frame, as shown in Fig. 98. 
The cylinder is moved to a position on the floor in line 
with the engine center, lifted by the chain blocks to 
the proper level and the frame rolled forward until the 
cylinder is in place. To insure the easy entrance of 
the bolts connecting the cylinder and frame it is 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 



121 



absolutely necessary to have the cylinder perfectly 
level when lifting it, and to see that the steam-chest 
side is properly placed. 

Unless the lagging is very heavy, it is best to remove 
it before putting on the rope lashing by which it is 
lifted. 

If the engine is a tandem compound one, put on 
first that cylinder which is next the frame, place the 
piston for that cylinder on the rod and put it into the 



V; END OF FRAME 



^'' 



HI 



I~1 




in 



1Z1 



SCREW JACK 



fig. 99 



cylinder. Next put on the clyinder head, distance 
pieces, etc., lifting them all with the blocks on the 
frame. The other cylinder can then be lifted and 
placed as before by the gallows frame. The support 
can then be placed under the cylinder, and then (and 
not until then) should the chain blocks be released. 

The other piston should then be put on the rod, the 
cross-head put into place and the rod screwed roughly 
into the head. The final adjustment for equal clear- 
ance is not made until the connecting-rod is in place. 

Figure 99 shows a method of raising the cylinder 
by blocking. The cylinder is firmly lashed to a 6x6-in. 
or an 8 X 8 in. timber, the ends of which are alter- 



I2 2 ERECTING WORK 

nately raised by screw-jacks and followed by blocking 
until the proper hight is reached. Then by sliding 
the timber along the blocks toward the frame the 
bolts or studs are entered and the cylinder made fast. 

There is usually a valve guide or rocker arm to trans- 
mit the motion from the eccentric-rod to the valve- 
stem; this can now be put into place. 

The governor wheel should now be put on the shaft 
and pushed on until the eccentric-rod when connected 
to the eccentric-strap will line up with the pin on the 
valve-guide or rocker arm. The eccentric carrier and 



TIMBER TO JACK AGAINST 



FIG. IOO 



the governor are usually carried on the wheel inde- 
pendently of the shaft and for this reason the wheels 
were not put on as soon as the shaft was finished — 
that is, the wheel could not be put on until the eccen- 
tric-rod pin, which governs the wheel's location, was 
in place. To exactly locate the governor wheel on 
the shaft some makers put a set-screw in the wheel 
hub and a corresponding pocket in the shaft. When 
the screw will just enter the pocket, the wheel has been 
pushed on to the proper point. In lieu of any other 
guide the method first described, i.e., having the 
eccentric-rod line up with its pin, is sure. 

Figures ioo, 101, 102 and 103 show the method of 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 



123 



raising the wheels and pressing them on the shaft. 
To raise the wheel to the proper hight, place a \\ or 
2-in. plank on the floor so that when the wheel is rolled 
up on the plank it will just clear the end of the bear- 
ing. Roll the wheel to one end of the first plank, 
place another plank on top of the first and roll the 
wheel back and up on to this second plank. Repeat 
the operation until the wheel is at the right hight to 
be worked over and entered on the shaft. It will 
usually be found that the wheel will go on the shaft 
freely for a few inches, but must be pressed on for the 
remainder of its bearing. 




For this purpose a pair of clamps like those in Fig. 
101 are cheap and convenient and will not subject 
any of the engine parts to undue stresses. The cross- 
pieces of this clamp consist each of two pieces of flat 
iron f or 1 in. thick and about 1 in. less in width than 
the space between the crank disks. Each pair should 
be bolted together with three f-in. bolts with ij-in. 
spreaders or separators, which may be wood, pieces of 
pipe or old nuts. 

The rods should be 1 in. in diameter with two nuts, 



124 



ERECTING. WORK 



and should have about i ^-in. thread on one end and 
12-in. on the other. 
The method of operation is shown in Figs. 102 and 




FIG. I02 



103. Put one of the cross-pieces between the disks, 
using a plate P to keep the strain off the disk and 
counterbalance, and directly on the end of the shaft. 
Place the other clamp outside of the wheel, resting it 




ELEVATION 
FIG. 103 



on two hardwood blocks bearing against the face of 
the hub. After placing the bolts in position, the 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 



I2 5 



wheel can be pressed on by screwing up the nuts N N. 
in doing this be careful to have the rods the same dis- 
tance from the shaft-center, as at d d, Fig. 102, and to 
screw the two nuts N N an equal amount as nearly 
as possible. This avoids cramping the wheel or pull- 
ing it on out of line. This method is superior to jack- 
ing the wheel on from the ouside, as it puts the stress 
entirely on the straight piece of shaft between the 
disk and the wheel on the one side of the engine, and 
cannot spring the crank or cause other damages. 




FIG. 104 

Where the wheel hub is split, as in Fig. 104, a wedge 
can be driven in the split, opening it so that the wheel 
will go on easily. In such cases the pinch bolts should 
be heated quite warm just before being put in and 
tightened up; the contraction will insure them against 
working loose after a period of use. 

The keyways in wheel and shaft should be made to 



126 ERECTING WORK 

coincide or match after the wheel is on a few inches 
and before the clamp is put on. To do this put a 
block of wood in the crank-pit so that the shaft cannot 
complete a revolution. Roll the engine until the 
crank is away from the block, then roll it back until 
the crank-pin strikes the block. This shock will shift 
the wheel a little on the shaft and can be repeated 
until the keyways are in line. In driving the keys 
be sure that they do not bind top and bottom. 

Next the connecting-rod should be put in. First 
connect the rod to the crank-pin, leaving the other 
end free, first coating the pin with lampblack and oil. 
Key the rod up tight and swing it to see if the other 
end falls in the center of the cross-head pin. If it 
does not, scrape the boxes at one side until it does, 
being careful to leave a good full bearing in the boxes. 
Repeat this operation by connecting the rod to the 
cross-head pin and making it come central on the 
crank-pin. This will avoid "side lash" and it is a 
good plan to try it with the crank-pin at both ends 
of the stroke. 

If there is any doubt about the shaft being square 
with the center line of the engine, which would affect 
the alinement of the rod, it may be tested before the 
wheels are on, as shown in Fig. 105. All that is neces- 
sary is to place a true straight-edge across the planed 
cylinder face and measure from it to the surface of the 
shaft at each side of the engine. These distances a a 
should be equal if both ends of the shaft are of the 
same diameter. The crank center should next be 
trammed. Fig. 106 shows how to do this. Turn the 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 



127 



engine forward until the crank is 15 or 20 deg. from 
the center. Make a sharp scribe mark A on guide and 
cross-head. Make a punch mark B on the engine 
frame near the crank disk, and from this with a bent 




FIG. 105 



tram make a mark C on the disk face. Turn the 
engine over until marks A and on the guide and cross- 
head again coincide. With the same tram and from 
the punch mark B make a second mark D on the disk. 



TN. . TRAM/ X 



FIG. 106 



Divide the distance C D with a pair of dividers and put 
a punch mark E exactly half-way between them. 
Turn the engine until the tram just fits the punch 
marks B and E; the engine is then on the center. 



128 ERECTING WORK 

Note that all lost motion, if there is any, must be taken 
up in the same direction in all operations. 

Now the engine should be put on the center and the 
piston-rod screwed into or out of the cross-head until 
the piston is traveling central in the cylinder, i.e., until 
the clearance is equal at both ends. The rod can be 
screwed or unscrewed with a long wrench or by taking 
a number of turns of rope around the rod, holding the 
free end of the rope and unwinding it with the gallows 
frame and blocks. This will frequently start a tight 
rod. 

The cross-head jam nut should now be made tight 
and the cylinder head put on. The valves can be put 
in and set and the governor adjusted. The details of 
these vary so widely as to prevent any instructions 
as to their setting. These are always furnished in the 
minutest detail by the builders. 

The throttle, oil cups, lubricators and drain piping 
may now be placed, the engine carefully blown out to 
free it from dirt, etc., and it is ready for steam. 

We cannot too strongly impress upon our readers 
the necessity for thoroughly cleaning and examining 
each part before erecting it, both to see that it has 
sustained no damage nor become filled with dirt dur- 
ing transportation and to save labor in rehandling 
the parts. Before closing up any part, such as cylin- 
ders, steam-chest, crank-pit, oil catcher, etc., it is well 
to make a final examination to see that no loose nuts, 
bolts, sand, gravel, chippings, etc., remain inside to 
give trouble sooner or later. 

Another general point it is well to observe is that 



HIGH-SPEED CENTER-CRANK ENGINES 129 

in tightening a number of bolts which hold the same 
part in place, such as cylinder-head bolts, bearing 
bolts, etc., an equal strain should be taken on each 
bolt, thus always keeping the part held by the bolts 
equally tight over its bearing. 



XII 



SOME OF THE LIGHTER WORK IN 
ERECTING 

The only hard part of putting the links into a fly- 
wheel is in finding some way to heat the links. The 
link should be heated uniformly throughout its length, 
and it is almost impossible to do this in any hand 
forge. The most convenient place is the furnace under 
one of the plant's boilers, and if the fire can be spared 
it is the cheapest place. A link will weigh something 
over ioo lbs., and is neither heavy nor hard to handle 



c ; : . — 


1 1 ill 



FIG. I07 



when cold. Two men can shove it into a furnace door 
and place it anywhere in the fire with ease. It may 
be half an hour in heating up to a dull red. It should 
not be necessary to heat it hotter than this. The rake 
will haul it out on to the floor and an eye-bolt screwed 
into each end will make handling easy. Two men 
with a cart stake shoved through the eye-bolts Fig. 107 
will carry a link anywhere. 

It will be necessary to rig up a fall swung from the 

*3° 



SOME OF THE LIGHTER WORK IN ERECTING 131 

fly-wheel rim to lift the link into place. It is not heavy 
but men cannot hold the thing while it is being shoved 
in, for it throws out a lot of heat. The fall hooks 
right into the top eye-bolt and a few light blows drive 
the thing home. Usually about a sixteenth of an inch 
is allowed for the shrink; that is, the link is finished 
up T V-in. short. But whatever this allowance is, it 
should not be so much that the link will not go in 
readily when at a dull red heat. If the links are 
finished up too short some stock should be machined 
off. It is better to let it be done by machine, too, for 
the biting surface should be kept square and have a 
good bearing. If this T V-in. looks small let it be con- 
sidered how much of a twist would have to be given a 
wrench to make T Vin. in the length of a bolt 4 in. in 
diameter and 2 ft. long when the parts were already 
iron and iron. Too much allowance will require too 
hot a link and if the link is hot enough it will stretch 
permanently without biting much of anything. 

When the link is once in, it will do no harm to cool 
it off with water till it bites and holds itself in place. 

Links may be, and have been, heated in a wood fire, 
built on the open ground. The heat is certainly a 
good one, for the fire should be large; but the process 
is a very slow one. It will take at least one man's 
time to collect wood to burn, and the fire is torn down 
every time a link is taken out. Still this method is 
always possible, and that is a virtue, for there is not 
much in the heating line that cannot be done with a 
large open wood fire. A little time may be gained by 
rigging up an open grate with bars or rods of iron for 



w 



ERECTING WORK 



grate-bars, resting on a few bricks laid so as to catch 
the wind for draft and more brick laid on top to form 
a short flue 18 in. long, perhaps, something as shown 
in Fig. 1 08. Also a sheet of iron may well be laid over 



''l ' I ' I ' I ' 1*1 



FIG. 108 

the top of the link, boring a hole for the escape of 
smoke. This holds the heat in better and tends to 
heat both sides at once. But the outfit is not a very 
good one at best. 

In shrinking in links it is common to follow around 
on one side for a way before doing anything on the 
other. This method, or any other method, is all right 
provided it does not pull things together in one place 
and open them up in another, due to some spots 
yielding more readily than do others. This must be 
watched and evened up by working where the open- 
ings tend to come. There is rarely any trouble found 



SOME OF THE LIGHTER WORK IN ERECTING 133 

in the fit of the wheel itself, for the wheel has been 
together once before for the turning, but the links 
themselves, of course, have never been in the sockets. 

The hub bolts will have to be made good and tight, 
and this is best done with a short stout wrench and a 
sledge-hammer. They fit tight in the holes when cold 
and evidently cannot be put in hot. All these nuts 
should be watched after the engine has carried its first 
loads, and it is a good plan to go over them all again 
and give them an extra pinch, after the first runs. If 
a bolt works loose, there is usually some cause for it, 
and the very fact that it wants to work loose is a reason 
for wanting to keep it tight. The best method of mak- 
ing rules for the care of a wheel is to watch each wheel 
itself and prescribe remedies for the cases as they 
appear, measuring all the facts carefully. 

The cross-head of an engine having bored guides will 
require a little patience in being gotten into its place, 
twisted up and rested on its wedges. It is not heavy, 
but it has to go where little can be arranged to lift it. 
It must go in on its side, and after it has gotten seem- 
ingly beyond control it must be stood upright and the 
wedges put in. The guides are bored out concentric 
with the engine's center line, and, so far as the bore 
is concerned, it would be possible to make the cross- 
head revolve when the shoes are in, and so it is possible 
to put a cross-head in and roll it up in place in the guide 
while the shoes are in. But in order to do this the 
piece must be in line with the engine, for the new 
shoes, even when slacked away off, do not allow much 
play; and it is a mean thing to line up and hold in line 



*34 



ERECTING WORK 



while it is being turned on nothing. It is easier to 
leave off both shoes and enter them when the cross- 
head is standing in place. 

The pistons are best put on to their rods before either 
piston or rod are put into the cylinder. Bull-rings and 
packing-rings may well be taken off and the piston head 
with its rod swung from the gin pole, as shown in 
Fig. 109. It can be made to balance by a man at the 




FIG. 109 

end of the rod and nicely steered through the throat 
of the stuffing-box. The stuffing-box gland must not 
be forgotten, and the nut on the rod back of the cross- 
head should be screwed away on out of the way. A 
good, stiff piece of plank should be cut off just the 
length to rest across the cylinder barrel and keep the 
piston up central with the cylinder bore, as shown in 
Fig. 1 10. The thread will enter easily if the parts are 
in line and the piston screwed home by a wrench on the 
nut back of the piston, and the clearance divided up, 
after which both large nuts may be set up hard. The 
striking points should be marked on the slides for 



SOME OF THE LIGHTER WORK IN ERECTING 135 

future reference. All the running gear and all the valve- 
gear is lifted easily and put in place by the gin pole, 
and the fly-wheel is turned in the direction it is to run 




FIG. IIO 



for the valve setting by the same means. Journals 
and boxes should be left slack at first, their possible 
closeness being determined by the fits and by the care 
with which the erectors line the machine up. 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Anchorages on a roadway 32 

Barrel, slinging a 25 

Basket hitch 18 

Bitting- rolling hitch 18 

Bolts, foundation 9, 14 

hub, tightening 133 

tightening 129 

Bottle hitch 23 

Bowlines 22 

Brick foundations 15 

Building up a fly-wheel 101 

Capstan head used in hauling machinery 27 

Center line of cylinder 11 

line of engine 113 

line of shaft 11,113 

lines 16 

Chocks 94, 119 

Clamps 1 23 

Clevis 91 

Cob house blocking 37, 79 

Concrete foundations 1, 7 

Connecting-rod, putting in , 126 

Crank center, tramming 126 

-shaft, raising a 36 

-shaft, unloading 75 

Cross-head, placing 133 

Cylinder center line 11 

137 



138 INDEX 

PAGE 

Cylinder, moving a 64 

raising by blocking 121 

Dead man, locating 34 

Engine foundations 1 

high-speed center-crank, erection of 111 

Erecting, lighter work in 130 

Erection of high-speed center-crank engines in 

Fly-wheel, building up 101 

sections, handling 52 

Forces foundations must resist 3 

Foundation bolts 9, 14 

-box of engine 112 

Foundations 1 

brick 15 

concrete 7 

in soft and moist ground 2 

Framing 37 

Gallows frame rig 117 

Gin pole 44, 55 

Grouting foundation-box ...... 115 

Guy falls, arrangement 49 

Hauling heavy machinery through city streets 26 

Hitch of lashing for hook 50 

on receiver 58 

Hitches ... 18 

Horizontal turbine 7 

Hub bolts, tightening 133 

Inclines, building 37 

Inertia forces 3 

Jacks against walls . 43 

for handling shaft 96 



INDEX 139 

PAGE 

Jacks used in handling cylinder 65, 72, 78, 85, 86, 88 

used in hauling machinery 26 

Jury mast knot 23 

Knots 18 

Lighter work in erecting 130 

Links, heating and handling 130 

Locating a dead man 34 

Luff tackle used in hauling machinery 27 

Machinery, hauling through city streets 26 

Main frame, handling 74 

Molds for concrete foundations 8 

Moving a cylinder 64 

Pillow-block section, handling 74 

Pistons, adjusting 134 

Raising a shaft 36 

cylinder by blocking 121 

wheels and pressing on shaft «... 123 

Receiver, handling „ . 54 

rigging for 52 

Reciprocation forces 3 

Rigging for a heavy lift 89 

for receiver 52 

Rollers, arrangement in unloading cylinder 80, 85, 86, 88 

for moving shaft 43 

on an incline 94 

proper angle for 68 

Rope sizes 93 

Rotation forces , 3 

Runway along car 81 

on an incline 36 

Setting turbines on concrete foundation 12 

vertical reciprocating engine on concrete foundation 12 



140 INDEX 

PAGE 

Shaft center line 1 1 

raising a 36 

unloading 75 

Sheepshank 20 

Sizes of rope 93 

Slide section, handling 45? 74 

Slinging a barrel 25 

Snatch block 48, 50 

Splice, endless- wound 22 

Stone jacks 65, 83 

Templet, how to set 9 

Tightening bolts 129 

hub bolts 133 

Tramming crank center 126 

Turbine, horizontal 7 

setting on concrete foundation 12 

vertical 7 

Unloading a heavy shaft 75 

Vertical reciprocating engine, setting on concrete foundation . 12 

strain on foundations 3 

turbine 7 

Vibration, avoiding '. 14 

Wheel, raising and pressing on shaft 1 23 

Winch, hand 31 

Work for a gin pole 44 



